Engineering apprentice Oliver Maundrel may have only joined Howard Civil Engineering five months ago, but he already knows he is in the right place to start his career as an engineer.

This National Apprenticeship Week, we sat down with Oliver to discuss his motivations behind his decision to join Howard Civil Engineering and how he hopes to make the most of the experience.

“I was initially attracted to HCE as I knew that they are one of the north’s leading engineering companies,” he said. “With this reputation in mind, I knew the support that I would receive would help me hone and develop my skills and competencies.”

Although only five months into his apprenticeship, Oliver has already cut his teeth on two different sites. He was initially placed at our high-profile Greengates Junction site in Bradford and has since been relocated to our Gateway 36 site in Barnsley. Howard Civil Engineering are primary contractor on both of these sites, so attention to detail is even more paramount.

“The key responsibilities of my role include managing health, safety, and the quality of work on site,” he explained. “I also provide setting out information for the works which take place on site and assist with the administration of office documentation such as quality inspection forms.”

Commenting on the support he has received, Oliver couldn’t be more complimentary: “My experience has been excellent so far! I am enjoying the role and the combination of the teaching provided from Leeds College of Building and the support given to me from experience operatives has been great. I feel quite confident in my role, even though I only started five months ago. Being placed with experienced engineers has definitely helped a lot.”

So where does Oliver see his apprenticeship with Howard Civil Engineering taking him?

“I am hopeful for a successful future at Howard Civil Engineering,” he said. “I want to gain my qualifications and then expand on my experience to eventually move into a management role. I have certainly been given a great opportunity to work hard, develop my knowledge and my skills, and eventually progress my career to a higher level.”

Sounds fantastic, Oliver! Keep up the great work.