Altrad RMD KWIKFORM HIGHLIGHTS TRAINING

Altrad RMD Kwikform (Altrad RMDK) is highlighting its investment in training the engineers of tomorrow, providing education in local colleges and universities and offering a range of internal apprenticeship programmes.

Altrad RMDK currently employs four apprentices working towards an Honours degree in Civil & Transportation Engineering as part of their Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship (CEDA).

The course has embedded themes of creativity, employability, sustainability, and the environment to help apprentices become professional engineers equipped with academic and practical knowledge. On the job training also gives the apprentices skills for life, and helps towards their End Point Assessment (EPA), which must be completed to gain the apprenticeship.

Apprentices can also apply for incorporated membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), just one step away from full Chartership, giving them the best possible start in their career.

Altrad RMDK is currently recruiting two more apprentices that will be put through a degree apprenticeship based at the University of Wolverhampton, with the potential to study for a master’s degree that the global formwork, falsework, and ground shoring specialist business will fund.

Cliff Shepherd, Altrad RMDK Senior Project Engineer, is a key figure in Altrad RMDK’s apprenticeship programme. He explains:

“Education is vital for any aspiring engineer, and we believe it is essential to introduce apprentices and students to the core principals of the construction industry as well as offering an insight into what an engineer does day-to-day.

“I’ve been fortunate to mentor both apprentices and graduates within the business, and also the university and college students, and take great pride in watching them grow through their education. All the apprentices and students bring something new to the table and offer a fresh perspective, and I find it inspiring to see the choices they make. I would like to think we have positively influenced apprentices and students – even if they have chosen a different path not related to the construction industry.”

Apprentice qualifications

Altrad RMDK works with the University of Wolverhampton to progress its existing apprentices with additional qualifications, including master’s degrees. The degree apprenticeships provide a balance between academic education and practical experience for their trainee engineers, offering the best of both worlds.

The knowledge and experience gained with a degree apprenticeship prepares a candidate for the working environment. University degrees are not the only further education Altrad RMDK offers its staff, with a wealth of additional internal and external training opportunities to help advance the careers of the staff in all facets of the business.

Jacob Reynolds, a former apprentice and now full time Design Technician, said:

“The apprenticeship scheme with Altrad RMD Kwikform was a wonderful experience, learning on the job in such a busy, stimulating industry as engineering, and I was given all the support and guidance I needed.

“I learnt so much in the classroom, but the real game-changer was putting that knowledge into practice. I think that helped me get the grades. The apprenticeship scheme has given me so much knowledge, which has benefited me throughout my career, which now sees me working on exciting projects such as HS2.”

College mentoring

Altrad RMDK is also involved in several education programmes across various age groups, providing local college and university students with crucial skills and education for their careers. The company has run programmes at Thomas Telford University Technical College and the University of Wolverhampton for students and apprentices, nurturing and developing young and aspiring engineers.

For students studying for a BTEC Level Three and T-Levels, Cliff Shepherd has provided lectures and group sessions to earn credits towards their qualification, equipping them with suitable grades to advance to university. For example, simulation projects tasked students with planning the construction of carbon-neutral bus shelters, showing great initiative, and impressing engineers who came to see the finished proposals. If a student shows a particular talent or enthusiasm to work in the construction sector, Altrad RMDK can offer them the chance of an apprenticeship to help begin a career.

Laura Fletcher from Thomas Telford University Technical College explains:

“The staff at Altrad RMD Kwikform have been an inspiration for the students at Thomas Telford UTC, to see them engaged with everything Cliff and the other engineers have to offer is amazing, from guest lectures, to supporting our careers programme.

“Even if students are not thinking about engineering as a career pathway, our students appreciate staff sharing their expertise and knowledge about other aspects of business, work discipline and giving them advice. We are forever grateful for the support from Altrad RMD Kwikform, which has seen two of our alumni go on to further education with them. We hope to continue our long partnership with them.”

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