Ryan Pickering - Civil Engineering Apprentice
Could you tell me about your Apprenticeship?
My Apprenticeship has been great so far! I have really enjoyed travelling all over the UK and with that, the opportunity to take part in huge scale projects that I would never had been part of if I had stayed in Northern Ireland. The people that I have had the chance to work with from within FK Lowry and the overall Lagan Group have been incredibly kind and patient while I was learning and continue to grow as an Engineer. This whole process wouldn’t have been as enjoyable as it was without these people.
What have you been up to in your Apprenticeship over the past year?
With the pandemic bringing a stop to all works within FK Lowry I had the opportunity to move into our sister company Charles Brand. I found this opportunity extremely rewarding as it as a completely new experience that gave me a different outlook on how I look at an overall job instead of a specific package and how everything fits together.
How have you coped with your Apprenticeship in the Covid-19 Pandemic? What new skills have you learnt?
I think like all of us, I have had my ups and downs throughout the whole Pandemic. It was extremely tough at the beginning as everyone was unsure what exactly was happening and what could happen. What gave me piece of mind was how the overall company reacted and how the specific job I was on reacted to the change. A major skill that I’ve learnt was how to communicate better through a screen and not face-to-face. I believe that going forward it has changed how the company will operate, even outside a pandemic.
Why would you recommend an Apprenticeship to others?
I would 100% recommend this Apprenticeship and any others like it. I remember at the time of accepting the job offer, my friends (who had all just accepted offers for Uni) thought it was a stupid idea. Luckily my parents saw the bigger picture, on-the-job experience, getting paid while receiving a degree and NO UNI FEES, why wouldn’t you do it?!
Rebecca Connor - Civil Engineering Apprentice
Could you tell me about your Apprenticeship?
I’ve been an Apprentice Civil Engineer at FK Lowry since September 2019. I’m just about to complete my Foundation degree and move onto my Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering at Ulster University this September.
What have you been up to in your Apprenticeship over the past year?
Over the last year I have been out on site helping to run jobs all over the UK as well as in Dublin for a few months. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn how to set out on site over the past year which I though was fantastic.
How have you coped with your Apprenticeship in the Covid-19 Pandemic? What new skills have you learnt?
Since the start of the Pandemic I’ve had to become a lot more independent in my work, both with FK Lowry and with my College work. Learning to work from home and engaging online with my colleagues and classmates has been challenging at times but has really reinforced the importance of communication, remote working has definitely encouraged me to ask as many questions as possible.
Why would you recommend an Apprenticeship to others?
It's an absolutely fantastic way to learn. The practical experience you gain is invaluable and it really gives you a brilliant insight as to how the Industry works alongside gaining important qualifications at the same time. It’s also great that you earn a wage while you work, as well as getting school fees covered too!