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Role: Digital Engineering Level 3 Apprentice
Career Area: Digital and Information Management
Current Study Level: Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location: York
My role at SYSTRA
I mainly work on the 4D visualisation side of digital engineering, producing visuals of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) East route from Leeds to York by using software such as MicroStation, Twinmotion and SYNCHRO.
I also assist the BIM Coordinators on the project with general tasks such as clash detection and creating drawings.
Why I chose an apprenticeship
I’ve always had an interest in CAD designing and was interested to see what sort of career paths this could take me down. I knew I wanted to go down the apprenticeship route rather than go to university from a young age. I’ve always felt I don’t want to have lots of student debt to deal with down the line, and I thought an apprenticeship would be the best way for me to learn and progress.
The 80/20 work and college time split also works in my favour in terms of how I feel I learn best – I also feel like it breaks the week up and adds something different into the mix, which keeps me motivated and interested.
We asked Will…
How have your technical skills developed throughout your apprenticeship?
When starting at SYSTRA I had little to no knowledge on any design software such as MicroStation and SYNCHRO. Over two years later, I feel extremely confident in using not just these software programmes, but also when using Twinmotion, OpenRail and many more.
How have you grown personally through doing an apprenticeship?
When I started my apprenticeship, I was a quiet 18-year-old who was nervous about stepping into an environment that I had never been in before due to my lack of work experience. Now, thanks to my very welcoming and friendly colleagues at SYSTRA, I feel like I can approach anyone within the business for support, whether that is in the office or remotely on Teams.
What advice would you offer to someone who’s unsure if an apprenticeship is right for them?
Get involved with as many opportunities as possible to network with other people, internally or externally. Meeting new people can be a daunting prospect for some people, however these opportunities have been some of my favourite memories since joining SYSTRA.
How does SYSTRA stand out as a great place to work?
I feel like the team I work in is perfect for me. The team is friendly and sociable, both in and out of the office. SYSTRA’s hybrid working policy is also something that keeps me motivated – being able to split my week up into office and homeworking is an initiative I feel I really benefit from.
What’s your favourite thing about your job right now?
I really enjoy producing the visualisations for the TRU East route. The various bridge reconstructions have been interesting to me as I get to see how the different bridges are being worked on and whether they are being knocked down completely, adjusted or staying the same. I’ve also found it interesting working with different software programmes to produce the visuals, and seeing how the different tools can collaborate with each other.
Diversity is powerful. What unique perspective do you offer as an apprentice?
I think diversity is an important aspect of everyday life, and even more so in the rail industry. I think it’s important to promote diversity and inclusion at a young age to show children and students the multiple different disciplines that the rail industry can offer to them. I personally feel like this is being promoted too late in young people’s lives – by the time some young people are aware of the opportunities in rail, they already have their minds set on other careers in completely different industries.
You can spend your lunchbreak with anyone you admire – who would you choose?
Jeremy Clarkson – not necessarily someone I admire but someone that I find interesting. I feel I could talk to him about anything, from cars to farming, to his outspoken political opinions – a lunchbreak spent with him would fly by!
What is your next big career goal?
To complete my apprenticeship. I feel like once I have completed my apprenticeship it will be a weight lifted off my shoulders – it will be a big milestone achievement for me.
What excites you about your career future?
The various ways we can use technology to present project work. With how fast technology now advances, in five, 10 or 20 years, the way I work, and the way I produce and present work, could be vastly different to how I do it now. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.