Civil Engineering Apprenticeship

This is an industry supported programme, accepting students directly into a Level 6 programme of learning.
four tower cranes on the blue sky

How to apply

The potential apprentice will be required to complete an Initial Needs Assessment (INA) with the support of their employer and the University to ensure the apprenticeship programme is an appropriate solution to their skills development needs.
The employer should or can request the Initial Needs Assessment by emailing apprenticeships@plymouth.ac.uk.
Please email apprenticeships@plymouth.ac.uk for more information on the next recruitment window.
Fees
The total cost of the Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship - Level 6 (Fast-track) is:
£27,000

Funding
There are currently two funding models:
  • Fully-funded: Levy paying organisations 
- If the annual pay bill of your organisation exceeds £3 million you will pay for your apprenticeship training through your levy account. 
  • Co-funded: Non-levy organisations (the annual pay bill of your organisation is less than £3 million) and levy paying organisations who have exceeded their levy contribution. 
- the government will financially co-support your apprenticeship training contributing 95% of the total cost. The employer will contribute and be invoiced for the remaining 5% of the total cost.
For more information about Apprenticeship Levy please visit the gov.uk website.
If you need any further information about the fees and/or funding for this apprenticeship please do not hesitate to contact us at apprenticeship@plymouth.ac.ukor call +44(0)1752 583625.

Overview of Modules 

EPA301, End Point Assessment Preparation Year 1 - This module is aimed at supporting apprentices who will be undertaking an end point assessment (EPA) as a part of their Degree Apprenticeship. The module involves regular reviews of apprentice learning and agreement of learning goals to enable apprentices develop their Professional Development Portfolio and equip them for the EPA.

EPA302, End Point Assessment Preparation Year 2 – This module has a similar aim to EPA301, but will run over year 2 of the programme.

GEEN314, Geotechnical Engineering 2 - This module considers the application of soil mechanics to analysis and design of a range of common civil engineering structures. This includes shallow and deep foundations, retaining structures, and slope stability.

HYFM300, Water Engineering - This module develops hydraulic engineering concepts introduced in the first and second year, and combines them with elements of water engineering and management. The main areas covered are urban drainage, flood management, water resources, and river/channel engineering. Learning is supported by laboratory work and a field trip.

PRCE300, Individual Project - The individual project allows the student to research an approved topic of interest related to civil or coastal engineering. Guided by an academic supervisor, the student independently conducts an investigation comprising theoretical development, experimental/computational and analytical work.

STAD300, Structural Engineering Design 2 - This module focuses on the analyses and design of whole structures, i.e. multi-storey buildings. It includes computer modelling and analysis, and methods of the validation of the obtained results using approximate analysis.

STAD315, Structural Engineering Design - This module introduces students to standard industry design practices and builds on their previous knowledge by introducing them to bridges and complex low rise / multi storey building structures. The module provides students with the opportunity to develop their conceptual design skills and adopt a holistic approach to structure design by considering the 'whole' as well as the individual elements.

Core skills

Knowledge and understanding

On successful completion graduates should have developed knowledge and understanding of:

1) The principles and techniques used to evaluate the impact of civil engineering infrastructure on society.

2) The principles and techniques used to evaluate the impact of civil engineering infrastructure on and the environment.

3) The client and end user needs of civil engineering projects and products.

4) The importance of the tools used to measure welfare, health, safety and sustainability.

5) The mathematical, scientific and engineering principles, methods and modelling that underpin the design and construction of civil engineering infrastructure.

6) The use and validation of digital solutions and data gathering tools to model, evaluate, design, test, build and manage civil engineering infrastructure.

7) A range of research techniques used to develop innovative solutions to civil engineering problems and the use of current and emerging technologies and products.

8) The design and quality standards, codes of practice, legal and regulatory frameworks, such as those of asset owners and regulatory bodies, that govern the life cycle of civil engineering infrastructure.

9) The principles and techniques of effective project management including resources, cost management and risk assessment.

10) How to manage teams and develop staff to meet changing technical and managerial needs.

11) How to communicate effectively and provide guidance to others through design models, calculations, reports, drawings, specifications, presentations, digital media and discussions with those both inside and outside the industry.

12) The professional and ethical codes of conduct and associated responsibilities as set out by the relevant professional engineering institution.

 

Cognitive and intellectual skills

On successful completion graduates should have cognitive and intellectual skills to:

1) Evaluate the impact of civil engineering infrastructure on society and the environment taking account of business, client and end user needs in its construction, management and use.

2) Proactively consider welfare, health, safety and sustainability in the life cycle of civil engineering infrastructure using tools such as CEEQUAL and environmental impact assessments.

3) Apply mathematical, scientific and engineering principles, methods and modelling to the design and construction of civil engineering infrastructure.

 

Key and transferable skills

On successful completion graduates should have developed key transferable skills to:

1) Use and validate digital solutions and data gathering tools to model, evaluate, design, test, build, and manage civil engineering infrastructure defining engineering and other constraints, identifying risks and how these may be resolved through design.

2) Develop innovative, safe, technical solutions to civil engineering problems through the use of research techniques, market intelligence and best practice.

3) Interpret and apply design and quality standards including codes of practice, legal and regulatory frameworks, in the development of civil engineering solutions, the determination of construction methods and the technical aspects of site activities.

 

Employment related skills

On successful completion graduates should have developed employment related skills to:

1) Manage and apply safe systems of work including taking responsibility for own obligations for health, safety and welfare issues, assessing and controlling risk, working with health, safety and welfare legislation and best practice.

2) Manage the planning, budgeting and organisation of tasks, people and resources through the use of appropriate management systems, working to agreed quality standards, project programme and budget, within legal, contractual and statutory requirements.

3) Manage teams and develop staff to meet changing technical and managerial needs.

4) Communicate effectively and provide guidance to others through design models, calculations, reports, drawings, specifications, presentations, digital media and discussions with those both inside and outside the industry.

5) Carry out and record the continuing professional development necessary to maintain and enhance knowledge and competence as a civil engineer.

 

Practical skills and behaviours

On successful completion graduates should have practical skills and behaviours to:

1) Be aware of the needs and concerns of others, especially in relation to diversity and equality.

2) Demonstrate reliability, integrity and respect for confidentiality.

3) Demonstrate confidence and flexibility in dealing with new and changing interpersonal situations.

4) Be conscious of the need to create maintain, and enhance productive working relationships.

5) Demonstrate a strong commitment to health, safety and welfare.

6) Demonstrate a personal commitment to professional and ethical standards, recognising one’s obligations to society, the profession and the environment.

7) Demonstrate self-awareness of knowledge and skills and only undertake work that they are competent to do.

8) Reflect on their personal development needs and place a strong emphasis on addressing them.

Introduction

The academic element, which involves study on campus, will run part-time over a 2 year period. The degree will provide underpinning knowledge for the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) Civil Engineer (Degree) Apprenticeship Standard, ST0417. As defined by the IfA, the degree is run as a non-integrated programme, blending Work-Based Learning (WBL) with learning on taught modules, taken from our existing BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering course.

The programme will enable the University, students, employers and industrial mentors to collaboratively prepare candidates for the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) End Point Assessment (EPA). In accordance with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) requirements, students on the programme will follow a negotiated technical and professional development programme, assessed and audited every 12 weeks.

Who is the programme for?

This programme is for businesses employing people with a Foundation Degree in Civil Engineering and who have already achieved ICE Engineering Technician (EngTech) status and who want to help employees progress to the next stage of professional registration, at IEng level.

A key difference between this programme and a traditional part-time degree is that we will work in parallel with our apprentices and their employers to ensure that, by the end of the academic programme of study or shortly afterwards, an application can be made by the employer for an End Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA is assessed independently from the academic elements of the programme. The EPA assessor for this programme will be the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

University of Plymouth Civil coastal engineering students surveying on campus.

The degree programme follows the University’s standard operational practice of teaching being delivered across two-semesters each year. This part-time programme allows students to study the equivalent of 20 credits per semester in both years. In year 2, taught modules will be augmented with the addition of the 40 credit individual project, which is scheduled to run over semester 1 and 2. Two zero-credit modules (EPA301 and EPA302) will provide a means for guiding apprentices to the end point assessment of the degree apprenticeship scheme and ensuring that they have an appropriate portfolio of evidence.

Delivery of teaching and learning takes a variety of forms and selection is based upon what is considered most appropriate to the topics being taught and the intended learning experience. Academic staff are informed by good pedagogic practice, with most holding a postgraduate teaching and learning qualification for higher education in alignment to the University’s teaching qualifications and recognition policy. The main delivery modes will be lectures, tutorials, practical sessions, seminars, lab classes, group and individual projects, and independent reading and study. Where appropriate, an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning will be used; practical skills will be developed using industry standard software; students will be challenged with real-world projects; and collaborative activities undertaken with the school’s industry partners. 

The learning resources will be research-informed and industrially relevant with practical elements drawing on the facilities of the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, e.g. laboratories, workshops, and computer suites with industry standard software tools. 

Students will have access to in-house produced documents, podcasts, videos, online-assessment, etc. through the University’s Digital Learning Environment (DLE) and the 'apprenticeship platform' (APTEM). The DLE provides access to additional resources such as e-portfolio, on-line training videos, reading lists, resource searching (Library), timetabling, emails and file storage through a single point of entry into the University’s computer network. Moodle is the preferred platform for developing content-rich teaching, learning and assessment resources. Each module will have its own Moodle page with content that is managed by the teaching team. Similarly, the programme will have its own Moodle page with content that is managed by the Programme Leader.

The Individual project module requires students to carry out self-directed reading, practise their research skills and use the knowledge that they have obtained through the taught parts of the programme. Each student is supported for the duration of their project by one-to-one tuition and discussion with an academic advisor. The academic advisor and one-to-one tuitions could be within a student employment organisation.

Civil Engineering

Areas of specialism

In accordance with the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) Standard ST0417, this programme aims to produce graduates that can provide technical and management input to develop design solutions for complex civil engineering problems. They will be able to work effectively as part of a team of engineers and with other construction professionals through all lifecycle stages of development, design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of civil engineering infrastructure. Students on the programme will develop a broad skills base to work in areas including sustainable construction, structural integrity, geotechnics (engineering behaviour of earth materials), materials, tunnelling, marine and coastal engineering, water, waste management, flood management, transportation and power.