Babatunde was born in Nigeria and came to the UK in 2003. After finishing school, he went on to continue with his studies at college, showing a keen and growing interest in buildings, modelling and infrastructures. In 2019 and with full support of his employer, he enrolled on to a level 3 Design and Engineering Technician apprenticeship at the London Design and Engineering UTC. The three-year course provided an innovative blend of classroom and online learning which was further implemented during the unfortunate onset and escalation of the pandemic, instantaneously creating uncertainty and initially slowing progress. Nevertheless, Babatunde’s mature attitude did not falter, and over time he could see positive changes in staffing and evolving processes relating to the teaching and learning experience in an ever-changing landscape. His working team were supportive and continued to provide high quality on the job training throughout, exposing Babatunde to a mixture of rewarding activities which were conducive to his learning. He had the opportunity to be site based for 8 months, which allowed him to gather a very broad understanding of different construction phases. ‘I enjoy working with the different software’s, visualisations, design aspect. I am naturally drawn towards modelling and visualisation.’ These learning opportunities enabled him to grow in confidence, creating robust relationships with senior planners, project managers, engineers, quantity surveyors and more. Most recently, Babatunde sat his End Point Assessment with NOCN. Over the course of three days, he underwent a series of gruelling tests and tasks. He demonstrated a high level of occupational competence and was successfully awarded a distinction. The assessor was extremely complimentary stating that, ‘Babatunde demonstrates a high level of skills, knowledge and work behaviour during his synoptic project and interview all of which I believe makes him a DISTINCTION apprentice.’ Babatunde’s advice to current apprentices: ‘Make sure you communicate with all the different disciplines, so you can learn as much as you can from them. Draw knowledge from them and document as much as you can to contribute towards your KSBs and take pictures and videos from day one.’ Finally, on behalf of LDE UTC, we would like to congratulate Babatunde on his well-deserved success! He has shown great resilience, determination and adaptability during some difficult times but has consistently demonstrated his professionalism in college and remotely and is a great asset to Bam Nuttall’s young talent pool. Well-done again!

I am currently employed as a trainee Civil Engineer Technician at the City of London Corporation. I never expected to end up training to be a civil engineer in the highways industry! It was never a plan for me but so far, I have really enjoyed the job and learning about the industry. I like the design aspect of my role and seeing my cad drawings become real life projects has not sunk in yet! I wanted to create a career for myself that offers me many options once I’m qualified. I have always been quite creative and enjoy designing things. I try to use these interests to create opportunities for myself. I started my own graphic design business when I was seventeen and have since worked with clients to create logos, posters, brochures and more from initial concepts through to product design. In addition to this, I have run another business focusing on personalised gifts. I hope to develop this business so that I can make it my fulltime job next year. I am also in the process of purchasing a property to renovate. I’m looking forward to developing my knowledge of DIY and transforming a space into a home. Another interest I have, that always surprises people is when I tell them, is that I play rugby. I train with my local team which has helped me with both teamwork and communication. I support Harlequins and hope to go and see a few games next year. In the last year, it has been challenging to adapt to working from home. I found the transition difficult to manage and felt very distracted whilst working. To overcome this challenge and keep me on track with my workload, I have committed to a schedule of 8-4 and make sure to always plan my days out in advance. I also incorporated to-do lists into my schedule, which is an easy way to keep track of tasks and satisfying to cross off when completed! Although I am still in the early stages of my apprenticeship, I have enjoyed seeing my mathematical skills develop in the short time I’ve been here. I also obtained a distinction in my first assignment which has set the benchmark of the grades I want to achieve. If I could offer one piece of advice to LDE UTC learners it would be to develop your interpersonal skills – listen actively, contribute to conversations, and learn to work efficiently in groups. Following this advice

Joseph, a London native, began his academic journey with Level 2 engineering studies, focusing on electrical engineering and programming. In 2021, he seized an apprenticeship opportunity at Dragados Ltd. to pursue his dream of becoming a fully competent design engineer. Since then, Joseph’s journey at LDE UTC and Dragados has been transformative, with a fruitful and varied programme that blends.

Working on diverse construction projects like roads, motorways, bridges, and tunnels at Dragados has provided Joseph with a solid practical foundation. He has honed a spectrum of skills, from basic to complex, through hands-on experience alongside seasoned professionals. These opportunities have enriched his apprenticeship, complementing the quality education he has received at LDE UTC.

From his experience as an apprentice, Joseph advises new design engineering apprentices to focus on theoretical aspects, working closely with their line-managers and mentors in the initial years, as practical experience naturally develops.

After completing his digital course later this year, Joseph aims to gain extensive industry experience before potentially pursuing Level 4 and Level 6 courses in Design Engineering.

Joseph will be involved in exciting initiatives such as the expansion of London Euston train station and the Birmingham Curzon Street railway station, a key link for High Speed 2 connecting Birmingham to London Euston.

LDE UTC congratulates Joseph on his commendable achievements and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours.

Congratulations, Joseph!

Award Winning Josh

We are proud to celebrate Josh, a second-year apprentice employed by Vinci as a Trainee Digital Engineering Apprentice, who was honoured as the Apprentice of the Year presented by the Engineering Skills College (ESC) at the LDE UTC 2024 Awards Night.

This case study celebrates his outstanding work ethic, professional demeanour, and impeccable attire, setting him apart as a shining example within the apprentice community.

Josh began his professional journey as a Trainee Digital Engineering Apprentice at Vinci, a leading construction company known for innovation and technical excellence. With a passion for digital engineering, Josh chose to pursue the Digital Engineering L3 apprenticeship, which equips individuals with the skills to drive the construction industry into the digital age.

Josh is recognised among his peers and mentors for his exceptional attitude towards work. He recently had the opportunity to present at his company’s annual roadshow in different parts of England, gaining valuable experience and exposure in the industry. He mentions the support and understanding he received from his college regarding this opportunity, highlighting the strong relationship and partnership between ESC and VINCI.

Alongside his conscientious attitude towards his work and study, Josh’s impeccable manner also distinguishes him. Known for his strong communication skills and collaborative spirit, he actively engages with his colleagues, seeking feedback so that he can learn more.

Josh is truly deserving of the Apprentice of the Year award and has distinguished himself as an outstanding individual within the provision. As he continues to excel in his apprenticeship and beyond, we are confident that he will inspire future generations to strive for excellence in the engineering industry.

I have always been interested in buildings and architecture. When I was a child, whenever I went on holiday, I loved looking at different buildings and architecture in different countries and compare how different they are to the UK. For example, Notre dame in Paris, St Stephens cathedral in Vienna and even the Oval in Cyprus. However, I wanted to take Engineering over Architecture for my Apprenticeship as I feel my strengths lie in mathematics and problem solving.

Through attending LDE UTC, I really like that the classes are small which really helps with focused learning and you can get help if you need it. I also love that there is a lot of technical equipment and resources. With smaller class sizes, students feel more confident to put their hand up and ask questions. They also feel more at ease contributing their own ideas and feel less intimidated if they do not understand something. This helps strengthen a teacher and pupil relationship and the pupil becomes more engaged in the learning.

The highlight of my apprenticeship so far? It was definitely pretty good to get 100% on my first maths assessment at LDE. Although now my company thinks I should get 100% every time :). I think the highlight of my Apprenticeship so far has to be attending my first topping off ceremony of my project in Paddington Square. In building construction, topping out is a builders’ rite traditionally held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlayed into a media event for public relations purposes.