“Every day I work in industry is another opportunity to learn something new”

Daisy Muge, 23, is a site engineer, studying for a level 4-6 civil engineering degree qualification at the University of East London. She is working for Costain on the Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture as part of her apprenticeship.

Which individual or project inspired you to become a civil engineer?

To be honest, I stumbled into civil engineering by accident! Nonetheless, I have always had a love for how things are put together. I’m really interested in sports, and I remember being amazed at the London 2012 Olympic Park and how it was spectacularly purpose-built for the games that year, so that was a source of inspiration for me.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship in civil engineering?

The structure of life and teaching that is presented as the “university experience” had never felt like it applied to me, as I’m quite a practical learner and benefit from seeing things done in real time. I liked the idea of taking that first step into industry while going onto further learning, so I could learn on the job and apply my continued education in the workplace. I’m glad I did – I love working for Costain!

What about being a civil engineer apprentice gets you out of bed each morning?

Every day I work in industry is another opportunity to learn something new. I think back to when I started my apprenticeship and had to build my way up with transferrable skills, starting from a clean slate and increasing my skillset each day. I still carry that same hunger for knowledge.

What’s a typical day like for you?

The day always begins with a briefing on site, a great opportunity to discuss with Site Supervisors what they may need from me throughout the day. It is also a good opportunity to check whether teams have signed the correct paperwork for their works’ activity.

The rest of the day is filled with a variety of tasks: paperwork, checksheet documenting, setting out/surveying on site, monitoring site works for daily diary, ordering materials… the list could go on and on!

Being a site engineer is a very diverse role, with a mix of office and site works as part of the daily routine. I really enjoy this split; I definitely wouldn’t be able to just sit behind a desk all day!

What have been the highlights of your apprenticeship?

Working on HS2 as my first project has been a great experience.

The highlight of the job for me more broadly is feeling appreciated by members of the team for the effort I put in. Whether it be senior leadership recognising me during the pandemic for taking part in update vlog videos for site works (of which I am now a champion), or simply going on leave for a week and returning to everyone saying, “Good to have you back,” the environment and the culture has had a huge impact for me.

Another recent highlight has been the support I had from my whole team in my promotion to full Site Engineer, proving that hard work really does pay off!

What would you say to anyone considering a civil engineering apprenticeship?

Go for it! It may not be the easiest thing you’ll ever do, but I am so glad I chose this route. I look at the full-time students in my lectures sometimes and wonder how they have a clue what is going on, as I often only know from my experience in my day job. Engineering for me is always best applied practically, and what better way than to earn and learn!

Find out more about apprenticeships with ICE at www.ice.org.uk/future#apprenticeships