Liam Wallace – Case Study
Employer: Transport for London
Job Title: Digital Engineer
Apprenticeship: Level 3 Engineering Design & Draughtsperson Standard
Why did you decide to follow the route of an Apprenticeship?
I decided to apply for an Apprenticeship because I personally didn’t feel like University was my ideal route after Sixth Form. After some research, it became clear to me that the idea of learning on the job and earning a steady income was what really helped me make my decision. I loved the idea of gaining first-hand experience of the engineering industry, but also know what it is like to work full time. As an 18-year-old, I felt that this was the right decision for me to make. I decided to look at various engineering companies and through my research I found that Transport for London (thereafter TfL) were looking to hire Apprentices for the Engineering Design (CAD) role. I applied and was invited to an online examination as well as an interview. Thankfully they found me the most suited for the role and the rest is history!
What does a typical day at work involve for you?
After four years (and a lot of hard work) I have finished my Level 3 Apprenticeship. As an Apprentice, I had many projects that I contributed towards, many of them taking place at the same time. I would have to plan my day accordingly in the morning and try to balance my time on each project. After a few weeks at work, I understood what I needed to do to stay productive, meet goals and stay efficient. I would take a minute every so often to ensure I was on track while taking small breaks to help my focus throughout the day. Every 3-6 months I would move to a different department known as a placement. Every placement is different, and the aim was to get a taster of the work and by doing so massively helped me understand what I do enjoy working on and what isn’t for me! As an Apprentice, I feel like this is one of the most important things! You will get the flexibility to decide what road to travel down.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I absolutely love my job and what it entails. I have developed so much as a person here at TfL. I arrived as an 18-year-old off the back of sixth form, wanting to make a good impression and feel valued. I feel so comfortable here, I work with amazing people from many different backgrounds and cultures which is so important to me. I believe that the work I do contributes to London in a positive way and I can see myself staying at TfL for many years. I can see a clear pathway of progression at TfL.
How did your STEGTA Training Officer and Employer support you throughout your Apprenticeship?
My STEGTA Training Officer was Ayo Abayomi Ojo. He was fantastic throughout my Apprenticeship. He is supportive and he believed in me while also pushing me to get the best out of me. I genuinely couldn’t have asked for anyone better to help. He went above and beyond for me, assisted me along the process and I am very thankful for his guidance.
How did you prepare for the EPA process?
During the build-up to the End Point Assessment (EPA), I wanted to ensure that I knew as much as my chosen discipline as possible (in my case it was Structural Engineering). Throughout my Apprenticeship, I took notes on materials, processes, and important key words/definitions. I made sure my knowledge of MicroStation was up to date and practised how to do certain commands. This really helped me during the knowledge and practical assessments.
How has your role developed since starting with your employer?
At TfL, I started my journey as a Level 3 Apprentice and for the first few weeks, I shadowed a lot of the senior engineers. On the side, I learned how to use specific computer aided design (CAD) software such as MicroStation. I quickly found my feet and began helping in various teams across the business. I am a recently qualified engineering design apprentice with over 4 years of experience in CAD across multiple disciplines such as civil, fire, premises, electrical, mechanical and geographical information systems (GIS). I am competent at completing technical designs, producing as built drawings, and collecting project data.
I now work in the Fire Compliance team within TfL, I help create and update fire plans and station layout drawings for various stations across the network which will prove most valuable in case there were any fires to occur. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) are sent my drawings digitally as well as a hard copy. These drawings will help assist the LFB if they are ever called to a station and they will know every detail about every station on the London Underground and Overground network thanks to the drawings that myself and my colleagues work on.
Do you hope to progress to any further training/higher education?
The idea of working on the job and learning has helped me understand that it is possible to expand my knowledge at the same time. The great thing with Apprenticeships is that nothing is out of reach. It doesn’t matter if you don’t go straight from school and get a university degree. It is perfectly fine to do an Apprenticeship first, gain valuable experience and work towards a higher level of education. Many firms will offer higher education even after the Apprenticeship is complete.
What would you say to someone considering a career in this industry?
Without a doubt this is one of the best decisions I have ever made to date. My school /Sixth Form was extremely focused on students getting into University. However, not as much effort was made for those who were not as keen on the idea. I decided to take it upon myself to do a simple bit of research into Apprenticeships which went a long way. I am sure you will be surprised at the sheer amount of companies in the UK that offer Apprenticeships. I would advise you look on their websites and career pages. To those who may not have gone on to do A levels, a lot of Apprenticeships will require only GCSE grades.
It is so important to do what is right for you and an Apprenticeship was a great thing to do. I have developed so much as a person thanks to my Apprenticeship at TfL.