Meet Kawsar, 18, from East London, and find out about his apprenticeship as a civil engineer for Transport for London. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Kawsar:
I'm Kawsar, I'm 18 years old and I'm a civil engineering apprentice at Transport for London.
I've always wanted to be a civil engineer since I was a little kid. A civil engineer looks for new innovative ways to improve constructions, making them more modern, cost-efficient, making sure new materials are being used correctly.
Day-to-day, myself and my mentor, Yul, we inspect the drawings and what works are going to be conducted today, so myself and Yul will be inspecting the concrete chunks, then we send them to the lab. I really enjoy it when I see new things and learn new things. It really helps my education. At the moment, I work four days on site and one day at college. Working on site really reinforces the knowledge that I learn at the college, because I'm seeing everything happen in front of me. So this is the real appeal for doing an apprenticeship, because I understand more when I see it.
At school there was a lot of expectation from the teachers and my friends to do A-levels and go to university after that. For myself I've always wanted to do something that's more hands on. I'm learning on the job. So I started looking into apprenticeships. My parents were very ive of that. They were helping me look. They prepared me for the interviews. I started my apprenticeships straight after our GCSEs. It was a massive change from going from school to an office environment. I had to leave all my friends behind and make new ones, but I felt like this process has really matured me as a person.
For anyone that's like me, where they like to do everything hands on, I recommend an apprenticeship. For an apprenticeship, you can still go to university. I'm finally completing the Level 3 apprenticeship. There are Level 6s which is a degree apprenticeship, so there are different options to what will suit you. I really enjoy my job at the moment. Being able to work on the Tube is something that I'm really proud of. Helping people commute, to see friends, go to work, really keeps the community together.
I want young people to know that university is not the only way into employment.
- Kawsar wanted to be a civil engineer from a young age because the job involves working with new technology to find solutions to construction problems
- Day-to-day, Kawsar works with a mentor on construction sites as part of his apprenticeship
- He works four days a week on site at a London underground station and one day at college
- At school, Kawsar's teachers and friends expected him to go to university but he's so glad he followed his heart and chose a more hands-on apprenticeship scheme.
What to expect if you want to be an engineer
- How many people work in the engineering sector?
- What can you earn in different roles?
- What routes can you take to get in?
- Is the demand for engineers expected to grow in the future?
Watch the film to find out the answers to these questions, and much more!
Other resources
- See what type of engineering role might suit you with the meet the future you quiz
- Find out more about the different areas of engineering with this guide from Tomorrow's Engineers
- Learn more about roles in engineering with the National Careers Service explore careers tool
- Discover a practical new way to study via T-levels (England-only).
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
Work experience in your area
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Tips and advice
Help with interviews, writing a CV and all things work experience related.
How to become an engineer. collection
Find out more about the engineering sector and how those currently working in it got their foot in the door.
Careers in construction. collection
Find out what you could expect from a role in the construction sector.
Starting work as an apprentice
The Mind Set coaches share their experiences of their apprenticeships.
