System Engineer Review
at Arcadis
Degree Apprenticeship
Civil Engineering, Engineering
London
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
3.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
I’m a Systems Engineer Apprentice at Arcadis, and day-to-day I support the engineering team by assisting with management of requirements by creating, reviewing or tracing them back to source documents. I spend a time shadowing senior meetings and engineers during design reviews IDRs and IDCs, deployments and incident responses to learn best practices. I also attend daily catchup calls with managers with work i complete and projects i am working o to review and ensure my work is to a high standard for submissions to our clients as a system engineer i create visio visual diagrams so the team and client can see how we will approach and attack problems.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I genuinely enjoy my apprenticeship programme because it provides constant opportunities to learn how systems engineers add value by connecting and coordinating across different disciplines. I’ve seen first hand how effective communication between teams ensures that crucial information is preserved and accurately transferred, especially during the concept and detailed design stages of a project. This collaborative approach prevents misunderstandings or gaps, so the client’s requirements are fully understood and incorporated from the outset. By participating in these stages, I appreciate how systems engineers help shape projects to meet customer expectations while considering lifecycle costs and long-term sustainability. Witnessing how disciplines such as design, operations, and maintenance are integrated gives me valuable insight into the broader impact of systems engineering, and motivates me to contribute towards seamless project delivery and improved outcomes for our clients.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Excel skills
Communication
presenting skills
time management
Requirements management
Technical documentation writing and diagramming
Incident and problem reporting
Quality assurance and testing processes
Stakeholder engagement and requirements clarification
Participating in design reviews and project meetings
Attention to detail
Problem-solving and analytical thinking
Professional ethics and responsibility
Health, safety, and environmental awareness
Communication
presenting skills
time management
Requirements management
Technical documentation writing and diagramming
Incident and problem reporting
Quality assurance and testing processes
Stakeholder engagement and requirements clarification
Participating in design reviews and project meetings
Attention to detail
Problem-solving and analytical thinking
Professional ethics and responsibility
Health, safety, and environmental awareness
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
2/5
Personally, I’ve found that there isn’t much of a structure to the apprenticeship experience at Arcadis especially within the team of system engineering, primarily because we operate as a consultancy. Unlike some organisations where apprentices follow a set programme or routine, our work is driven by the projects we win through competitive bidding, which means the type and scope of work can vary significantly from week to week. I am part of a specialised team that delivers a wide range of services to clients, so there is no fixed format or predictable workflow. Instead, apprentices are encouraged to be highly adaptable, ready to get involved in whatever tasks the current project requires. This environment fosters a learning culture based on observation, shadowing experienced colleagues, and actively contributing wherever possible.
Rather than following a checklist or standardised progression, we learn by doing different things under different disciplines and project stages, and developing the ability to respond to varied client needs. This flexibility not only helps me build a broad skillset but also prepares me for the dynamic nature of consultancy work, where being resourceful and open-minded is essential.
Rather than following a checklist or standardised progression, we learn by doing different things under different disciplines and project stages, and developing the ability to respond to varied client needs. This flexibility not only helps me build a broad skillset but also prepares me for the dynamic nature of consultancy work, where being resourceful and open-minded is essential.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
My team and company always have a colleague who is willing to help me on my work and share workload when its too much. We have mutiple resources to support training
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
My university is very supportive when doing my assignment as their lecture notes and lectures are very informative which helps me pick up new information which supports me in completing my assignment to a high standard.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I am 50% on this one as the course is more tailored to maintenance for Network rail system engineering rather than system engineering in consultancy as we work different sectors outside of rail and the course is specific to rail.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Arcadis to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Great culture, nice friendly people and stress free work culture and attitude.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Arcadis?
Get familiar with the work we do and the competencies needed for the role.
