Alfie, Civils Apprentice

How long have you worked for Wessex Water?

I have now been working for Wessex Water for just under two years.

How did you apply?

I had spoken to a fellow employee who recommended the apprenticeship scheme at Wessex Water.

What attracted you to Wessex Water in the first place?

When speaking to a fellow employee, he mentioned the great set-up in place for apprentices, eg, being given a phone, laptop, van, etc. The sick pay is also a great perk and they supply you with the correct PPE.

The company has a great pension scheme and they can also supply you with funded driving lessons. Wessex Water is a huge company with different job roles to suit you.

It is secure and gives you a career to build on and progress. They are really supportive if you ever have any problems.

What does your job entail and what do you most enjoy about the role?

My job has many different aspects and is very varied, it entails working on sewage treatment works dotted around the south. Reinstating old works and building and installing new pipework into primary sedimentary tanks (PSTS) using a range of equipment and tools such as disc cutters, grit saws, impact drivers, etc. We also build the foundations and shuttering for concrete slabs for tanks to be built on, as well as shuttering paths in and around the site and pouring concrete. Then, we level and finish with various trowels, using electrofusion equipment and welding pipe together.

Our jobs are very varied and use a range of skills. I always adhere to BEST, SQTC and check 5. The duty I most enjoy is concreting. I find it very satisfying and enjoyable.

Tell us about your team and what you like most about working with them.

I really do enjoy working with Sean and Pete in my team. They are very supportive and always push me to be my best! They are always there if I am struggling or if I don’t quite understand something, I’m not afraid to ask questions. We all seem to get along very well and work well as a team. Not only are they supportive inside of work but outside too. They're always giving me advice on things which will help me in the future. They both understand that I’m learning and that I’m going to make mistakes but I move on and keep improving every single day. I’ve learned a lot since working with them both.

Why do you think Wessex Water is a great place to work?

Wessex Water is full of great and supportive people. Everyone works as a team and makes you feel involved in the job. They are so welcoming, and you really do meet some good-hearted people. It's a job for life.

You can build on yourself and progress into higher roles up the ladder. It is a diverse and equal firm and there are equal opportunities. The training they offer is helpful. They put you on many courses to train you up to standard so you’re ready for what comes ahead.

They give you a good amount of holiday which includes bank holidays and some time off around Christmas, which is a nice touch.

What do you enjoy most when not working?

When I’m not working, I like to spend time in the gym. I also like spending time with my family and going out for nice meals around my local area.

Travelling is also a hobby of mine. I also enjoy being in the outside world, going out with my friends, and long walks with my dogs.

Right at the start of my apprenticeship, I got involved in some volunteering at a local farm, which I enjoyed. We painted a barn and fed some of the animals with some other apprentices.

What qualifications did you need for your apprenticeship? And what was the course like?

As a Civils Apprentice, I went to college in Cannington just outside Bridgwater. I had to achieve a Level 3 in maths and English at GCSE.

Within the course, I had to create a portfolio of what I had learned on-site and at college. I had to take pictures and write about what was going on, what problems I came across and how they were resolved. I also gave many different PowerPoint presentations on things such as concreting, drainage and laying slabs.

At the end of the course, I had to go to the college site and do three different tasks which were slabs, concreting and drainage. I had a drawing of specifications that I needed to follow which I did and I passed!