Civil Engineering Technician Apprenticeship

Civil Engineering Technicians assist in the preparation and production of plans, designs and documentation to meet relevant codes of practice and industry standards, such as Construction Design and Management (CDM) or the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), to meet statutory and regulatory requirements, and to comply with health, safety and wellbeing requirements.

They will use and apply engineering principles and techniques, carry out calculations and data analysis, and prepare and produce sketches, diagrams and models to support technical problem solving and the delivery of civil engineering designs and technical solutions.  They use a range of tools and techniques, including digital techniques (such as CAD or BIM) to aid the visualisation, communication, measurement and assessment of civil engineering projects. 

Civil Engineering Technicians will contribute to the planning, design, programming and delivery of engineering activities to agreed timescales and budgets, using quality systems and risk assessment procedures to monitor and manage projects and their risks. Technicians may also assist in site inspections or surveys, report progress against project plans, or check specified technical aspects of site activities. 

You need to be highly motivated and working in the construction industry. Your job role and responsibilities should allow you to provide evidence for the knowledge, skills and behaviours of this apprenticeship standard. DCG assessors will check your job description and advise accordingly. 

In addition, you should have at least one of the following:

• A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 (higher C) or above, including English and Science. You will need a grade 5 or higher in Maths.
• A BTEC qualification at Level 2 with an overall grade of Merit or higher.
• An Intermediate Diploma in a relevant subject area to a Merit or Distinction grade. The candidate should also have GCSE English at grade 4 or above and GCSE Maths at grade 5 or above.

Offers of a place on the course are dependent on your achieved qualifications and a successful interview.

Please note that, in line with the Consumer Act and as articulated in our Student Protection Plan, we reserve the right to close a course if there are insufficient students to make the course viable.

This apprenticeship includes the requirement to achieve the Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Civil Engineering. Please visit the relevant course page for this BTEC on DCG’s website for more information.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

A Civil Engineering Technician will know:

• Appropriate engineering principles, underpinned by appropriate mathematical, scientific and technical knowledge and understanding relating to civil engineering and the construction process
• Appropriate civil engineering techniques and methods used to design, build and maintain infrastructure and buildings, the standards, contracts and specifications used, and their impact on the construction process
• Key principles, techniques and methods of data and technical information collection, analysis and evaluation used in delivering civil engineering models, designs and technical solutions
• Technical drawings, modelling and designs, using computer-based software packages, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Building Information Modelling (BIM), and their use in the sector
• Statutory health, safety and welfare policies, procedures and regulations, including risk management, in relation to civil engineering project delivery
• Industry policies, standards, regulations and codes of practice, such as Common Safety Method (CSM), Construction Design and Management (CDM) or Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), that must be adhered to in the civil engineering environment
• Environmental policies and the principles of sustainable development, including those relating to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and net-zero carbon emissions, and their impact on civil engineering projects
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, and its impact on civil engineering solutions
• Project management, quality management and assurance systems and continuous improvement as applied to civil engineering
• Methods of communication and when to use them, including how to write technical reports and using appropriate engineering terminology and conventions
• Ethical principles as applied to civil engineering and the security of data and information
• The values and standards by which they maintain their personal, professional and technical knowledge and skills through initial professional development (IPD) and continuing professional development (CPD)

A Civil Engineering Technician will be able to: 

• Apply appropriate civil engineering principles, techniques and methods, including mathematical, scientific and technical know-how, to civil engineering and the construction process
• Apply key principles, techniques and methods of data and technical information collection, analysis and evaluation to support the delivery of civil engineering models, designs and technical solutions
• Operate appropriate software packages for data gathering and analysis, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Building Information Modelling (BIM), to create technical drawings, models and designs using relevant conventions and engineering terminology
• Apply statutory health, safety and welfare policies, procedures and regulations in the civil engineering environment, using risk management processes, procedures and documentation
• Support and contribute to the production or modification of civil engineering technical solutions in accordance with relevant industry standards, regulations and procedures, and codes of practice
• Apply environmental policies and sustainable principles in civil engineering projects, recognising the need to reduce carbon use, lower emissions and plan for wider sustainability
• Plan, carry out and manage own work in line with quality assurance, recognising the wider implications for customer needs, and within cost and resource limitations
• Consider equality, diversity and inclusion in the delivery of civil engineering projects
• Apply document control processes and procedures using the approved processes, maintaining quality compliance when creating or amending engineering documentation
• Communicate using appropriate methods for the audience, and incorporate relevant and appropriate terms, standards and data
• Apply ethical principles to civil engineering projects, including the secure use of data and information
• Plan, undertake and review their own professional competence, regularly updating and reviewing their CPD to improve performance

Behaviours required:

• Complies with health, safety and welfare requirements, industry standards, statutory regulations, policies and codes of practice
• Works independently, operating in a systematic, proactive and transparent way, using resources effectively to complete tasks, knowing their limitations and when to ask for support or escalate
• Applies a structured approach to problem solving with attention to detail, accuracy and diligence
• Is motivated when collaborating in teams, offering sensible challenge, reflecting on and providing constructive feedback and contributing to discussions
• Maintains professional and ethical working relationships with internal, external and connected stakeholders
• Takes responsibility for their own professional development, seeking opportunities to enhance their knowledge, skills and experience

Delivery will entail a combination of work-based learning with the help of an assessor and learning at the College by completing a BTEC qualification on a part-time basis. Please visit the course page for the BTEC qualification on DCG’s website for more information.

You need safety boots and Personal Protective Equipment, such as a hard hat and overalls, which should be supplied by your employer. You will need to purchase a scientific calculator and technical drawing equipment. For voice-over PowerPoint presentations, you will need access to a microphone. 

You will also need access to a computer or laptop with Internet, Windows 7 Operating System or above, Microsoft Office 2010 or above, and the ability to run Revit or AutoCAD Architecture which can be downloaded for free from Autodesk for students. 

The purchase of appropriate books and e-books is encouraged and guidance on which books to purchase will be given by subject specialists.

Once the apprentice has achieved the BTEC and Level 2 English and Maths, completed a digital portfolio and satisfied the off-the-job training requirements of the Employer Gateway, an End Point Assessment will take place which will be delivered in the following order: 

• Technical project report and presentation with questioning
• Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio

For the assessment of the BTEC qualification, please visit its course page on DCG’s website.

Performance in these End Point Assessment methods will determine the overall apprenticeship standard grade of Pass or Distinction.

The purpose of the BTEC qualification included in this apprenticeship is to develop students as professional, self-reflecting individuals able to meet the demands of employers in the construction and built environment sector and to adapt to a constantly changing world. The qualification aims to widen access to higher education and enhances the career prospects of those who undertake it. Graduates can perform key modern methods of construction tasks, understand processes and operations, and work effectively.

You could progress to a Level 4 apprenticeship in a related discipline, drawing on the broad knowledge base you will have gained from this course.

Completing this apprenticeship standard will pave the way to employment and typical job titles include Assistant Technician, Civil Engineering Technician, Civil Infrastructure Technician, Civil/Structural Technician, Construction Technician, Design Technician, Engineering Technician, Highways Technician, Junior Site Technician, Site Technician, and Structural Technician.

This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:

• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for Engineering Technician
• Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) for Engineering Technician
• Institute of Highways Engineers (IHE) for Engineering Technician
• Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) for Engineering Technician
• Permanent Way Institution (PWI) for Engineering Technician

For more information, contact Derby College Group on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk