For Engineering Apprentice Edward Tevenan, moving from the office to site has provided a valuable new perspective on how construction projects come together.
After studying at Ron Dearing UTC in Hull from 2023-2025, Edward joined Spencer Group last year and has already completed rotations across several departments within the business.
Edward recently began working on site at the Trafford Energy Park in Carrington, Manchester, where he has been actively supporting the engineering team.
The aim of the £300m development in Carrington is to store surplus electricity generated from wind and solar. This will be the first commercial-scale plant in the UK deploying pioneering liquid air energy storage technology.
This valuable experience working on site has helped Edward connect the knowledge gained in the office with the realities of delivering complex civil engineering projects. Although the transition from office life to site work brought new challenges, Edward quickly settled into his role thanks to the support of the wider project team.
He said: “I have really enjoyed working on site. It is very different to the office but I feel I’ve settled in quite quickly as everyone has been very friendly and welcoming.
“There is constant communication between not only Spencer staff but nearly all other firms working on the project. I did not expect there to be so much collaboration between them day to day.”
During his time on site so far, Edward has gained experience in surveying, setting out gridlines of pile caps using EDM and prism and setting the dig lines using GPS.
He has worked alongside joiners, steel fixers and groundworkers to ensure structures are accurately positioned before construction progresses, while also carrying out slump tests and producing concrete cubes for compressive strength testing.
The experience has helped him develop a greater appreciation of how engineering designs are transformed into completed structures.
He added: “My favourite part about being on site is being able to see everything happen and progress. It has already given me a much greater understanding of how we achieve the construction of the project.
“I am looking forward to gaining enough experience to be competent to carry out some tasks myself, whether that is filling in quality documents or performing a survey on site.
“All of the previous departments I have worked in have given me a lot of base company knowledge of what exactly each department does. For example, my rotation in procurement helped me understand how I need to communicate with the procurement team and suppliers when trying to order PPE or materials.”
As Edward continues to develop his technical knowledge and practical experience, his site placement is providing a valuable foundation for a future career in engineering.
