Subhan Waheed
A Former HNC Student's Journey to Becoming a Site Engineer
Hi, my name is Subhan Waheed, and I am a Site Engineer. I studied an HNC in Construction and the Built Environment – Civil Engineering.
No two days are the same for me in this role, typically I wake up around 5/6 AM and officially start my workday at 7 AM. From entering work my day includes:
- Solving problems
- Providing safe systems of work and methods to trained operatives for them to construct sections of projects.
- Plan work and assess it afterwards to ensure it is completed to a high standard.
I finish work around 5/6 pm and enjoy spending my evenings with my family or attending the gym.
As a Civil Engineer, I love the fact that I am always working on major projects, which are there to enhance and upgrade the world and environment around you. It is incredible to work on ‘once in a lifetime’ projects and infrastructure, which will leave a mass impact and legacy behind you as the years go on.
My apprenticeship programme was with Bam Nuttall, and I attended Leeds College of Building on a block release. This is where I came to the college twice a year for 9 weeks. Here I learnt theory in classrooms and the lecture theatre, as well as spending time in the lab and conducting experiments. All of which helped me when completing my coursework and assessments. I had heard a lot about the college as it was highly spoken about by people that I knew who had attended themselves. I attended an Open Day to find out more about the academic side of my apprenticeship.
During my time at college, my favourite thing was how supportive the lecturers were. They found the best ways, which suited me, making it a professional and relaxed environment to learn in. I was also awarded an accreditation as part of my apprenticeship; the title is ENG Technician within the Institution of Civil Engineers.
I would recommend Civil Engineering as it is a rewarding career, which has many pathways to various sectors within Civil Engineering itself. No two days are the same, which is amazing for anybody who does not enjoy doing the same activity repeatedly. Plus, you can study one thing, like how I studied Construction and The Built Environment, but become something like a Civil Site Engineer.
If I could choose any project within my industry of work, I would say I wish I worked on the construction of the Tarbela Dam – it is one of the world’s biggest earth-filled dams!
In the future, I hope to continue to work on major projects, which will help us to enhance and protect our environment/ climate, as this is something that requires a lot of investment and attention at this moment in time.
For students looking to start at Leeds College of Building my three top tips would be:
- Attend open days! Make sure you want to do the course. It will give you a true indication of the field of work you desire to go into.
- Make the most of all the resources you are provided at college.
- I would recommend trying to secure an apprenticeship. It is a fantastic way to study the course alongside working and a way to build connections in the industry.
Find out more about Civil Engineering courses here.
