People are at the heart of Barhale and we are committed to supporting the next generation of civil engineers coming through the business. As part of this commitment, we would like to introduce apprentice Kieran Booth. Kieran is studying BEng (hons) Civil Engineering at the University of East London, alongside working at Barhale to support his degree apprenticeship, which lasts for a total of 5 years.

Kieran, who previously was a labourer at a building construction company and before that undertook a Motorsport Engineering degree, realised he was more interested doing Civil Engineering than anything else. This led him to the degree apprenticeship and applying to Barhale which was recommended to him by a friend.

The degree apprenticeship consists of one day a week at university getting the theoretical knowledge which is assessed via a combination of coursework and tests, and then consolidating this knowledge, learning vital skills with qualified engineers onsite. So far in his journey, his duties range from carrying out plant and equipment checks to supporting with quality or surveying.

Kieran confirms that doing the apprenticeship helps to support and understand the theoretical side as well as the theory supporting the practice and which in turn, provides confidence to carry out his duties.

He has been enjoying the apprenticeship so far and is aware that he has been able to learn different skills that he didn’t know at the start. Kieran’s goal is to become an Incorporated Civil Engineer by the end of the five years. He has expressed a desire to gain experience in all types of Civil Engineering. With his colleagues and line manager who is also his mentor supporting him through his journey, we wish him all the very best in achieving his goals.

On a personal level, as well as having an interest in darts, video games and fitness, Kieran is a keen rugby player, playing for Amersham and Chiltern RFC. This has been an interest of his from as early as age 6 when his dad started taking him to rugby matches and later on when he got season tickets to watch the Harlequins. He has played for county and currently his team will likely be promoted to Level 5 this season which he is very excited about.

John Prendergast (Regional Manager, Southern Region) recognises Kieran’s progress, how apprenticeships are important for Barhale as a business and how it supports future and aspiring individuals wanting to work in the industry: “Kieran is making great progress in his apprenticeship and is always very eager to learn. Broadly speaking, apprentices spend around 80% of the time working and 20% learning in the ‘classroom’. For Barhale, apprenticeships ensure that the skills developed are matched to our company’s current and future needs and this helps fill any skills gaps. We find this is an excellent blend for the individual and the company.”