Story Contracting

In this case study we hear from Kayla Miller who works with our employer partner, Story Contracting. Kayla is now in her 4th year on our Civil Engineering GA programme. We also hear from Graeme McInnes, Engineering Director.

Please describe what you are employed to do in your current role

I am currently employed as a Trainee Engineer with Story Contracting. My main jobs are producing project documentation, carrying-out take-offs from technical drawings, setting out and surveying, and ensure detailed site records are maintained.

Can you give us some background what you were doing before your Graduate Apprenticeship, and how did you hear about the opportunity?

Before I started my apprenticeship I was in my sixth year of high school and working in my local supermarket.

I heard about Graduate Apprenticeships from careers talks/events at school.

Did you consider a traditional degree? And what was it about the Graduate Apprenticeship that appealed to you the most?

I did. I applied for Civil Engineering as a full-time degree, more as a back-up, as I didn’t think full-time university would have suited me.

The Graduate Apprenticeship programme appealed to me more as you still got to complete a degree, without attending University full-time, alongside earning whilst you work and gaining hands-on experience.

How have you found balancing working whilst studying towards a degree?

Balancing work and pursuing a degree is challenging and time-consuming, but the rewards make the effort worthwhile!

What is your proudest achievement to date in your role and how has this helped deliver results on behalf of your organisation?

Over the last year, my engineering abilities have improved massively. I contributed to some major projects over the last year and helped get them over the finish line.

Where do you feel you grew and improved the most through this apprenticeship experience?

Entering the construction world straight from high school was a little bit of an eye opener. I feel like this experience helped me mature and come out of my shell. It has really improved my confidence and communication skills.

Has your Graduate Apprenticeship enabled you to take on additional responsibilities / opened up promotion opportunities?

I am now in my last year of my apprenticeship and taking on a lot more responsibility at work. Working on this programme has essentially given me a 4-year head-start working in the industry compared to students doing their degree full-time. Once I complete my degree, I will be a fully qualified engineer and will be promoted to a role with no ‘trainee’ in its title.

Can you outline what support your employer and the Uni has given you in your GA journey?

My employer has always agreed that my studies come first. We are never in a position where we have to choose between university work or ‘work’ work. Story was always happy for me to take extra time if I needed it, or to organise special arrangements to assist with my studies. My work-based mentor was also a massive help on this programme, guiding me throughout my studies.

Heriot-Watt also provided great support through my personal tutor who regularly checks in and ties in with your employer.

What are your future career hopes and goals on completion of the Graduate Apprenticeship? Would this have been different if you had gone via the traditional undergraduate route?

My future plans are to stay in the construction industry as an Engineer, and hopefully one day dive into the project management side of the company.

If I had gone the traditional route, I’m not sure this option would have been so obvious for me to take, and possibly would have worked in the consultancy side as opposed to contracting.

How would you sum up your overall experience of the Graduate Apprenticeship programme so far?

Overall, these past three and a half years have been extremely challenging, especially if all of your friends choose to do full-time degrees. However, the benefits from completing a Graduate Apprenticeship are amazing. To have almost four years site experience behind me already, is a really big advantage in the industry, and will help me excel at work.