Summer Placement/ Industrial Placement Review

My role involved helping out senior engineers with any tasks so that I could learn as much as I could about the skills needed to be a graduate site engineer. As the site was in the preconstruction phase, this involved setting out using the GPS and total station, creating and monitoring trackers for various aspects of the project, attending meetings, managing land access requests. It was a mixture on on-site work and site office work on admin.

Yes, I was given a good amount of independence and responsibility - however I was always paired up with a senior engineer, which worked well for me as it meant I was able to ask questions and ensure I was doing the task right the first time.

I have become much better at using the technical equipment on site, such as the GPS, and gained a better awareness of how they are used. I also improved my skills with Excel and managing Sharepoint.
I've also developed my communication skills and confidence around asking why we are doing things and not just how.

I received loads of support from all the team, they were so friendly and willing to answer any questions. I always felt like they had time to help me out, and were keen to make sure I had all the tools to do any tasks.

The company culture is professional and invested in ensuring that the job done is of quality, and in the office, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, with a good mix of quiet working and social chat. Health and safety of operatives is a priority. As a young woman in construction, I felt very welcomed and included and never felt like my gender made me any different.

I loved it!! I had a lot of fun and enjoyed myself. I felt like I was able to do meaningful work and learn a lot and really felt part of the project. I enjoyed getting some real setting out and equipment experience.

Yes