National Apprenticeship Week 2024: A Spotlight on... Tom Lusty, our Associate

As this week marks National Apprenticeship Week 2024, we’re placing the spotlight on some of our amazing apprentices – past and present. Here, we receive all the tips and tricks from Associate Tom Lusty.

Where did your interest in engineering come from?

I can’t remember there being a lightbulb moment, but I was aware during school and college of what my strengths were and where my interests lay. At one stage I wanted to be an architect due to the creative design element, but as I learned about geography and energy, engineering emerged as something that would also allow me to be creative and sustainably minded.

Why did you join CPW and its apprenticeship programme?

Joining CPW’s apprenticeship programme in 2013 was not a simple decision for me. I had a place at university in Bristol to study geography and climate change but decided to turn it down based on the opportunity with CPW.

I came across the apprenticeship and realised that I could blend studying and working towards something I was interested in, which appealed to me. At the time, CPW was already focusing on innovations in sustainability which also resonated with me. I didn’t know it at the time, but joining the apprenticeship programme is a decision I am very pleased with. I have since had my higher education studies funded by the business, and gone on to become a chartered engineer.

What is your current role and what does it involve?

I am currently an Associate Building Services Engineer. The majority of my work is within the healthcare sector – for the NHS, private health and mental health service providers – but I have worked across other sectors too.

I design and deliver multiple MEP services to high standards, from ventilation through to fire alarms and lighting. With our forward-thinking approach here at CPW, I like to explain that we’re designing the estates of the future and delivering them today.

What is your career highlight so far?

To date, my career highlight is probably one of the first schemes I worked on. It was a project for Glaxo Smith Kline, supporting the biopharma giant with its first zero carbon building. It was a pioneering project and some very important lessons were learnt during the process. The result was a very low carbon in operation facility, which put academic theory into practice with success.  

What is your advice for someone considering an apprenticeship?

I think it’s important to consider what interests you have and what your strengths are. For example, if you enjoy problem solving then engineering may be a suitable career for you, as this is a fundamental part of what we do. Ultimately, it’s important to enjoy what you do, so pursue something that you align with and not what you think others may think is best.

What is the best advice you have been given?

It's something that I am sure many will have heard before, but there is no such thing as a silly question. Being inquisitive and engaging with people is how you get the most out of situations.

What are you hoping to achieve in the next stage of your career?

I won’t be able to achieve this independently, but I would like engineering to be more widely recognised and for this mission to be led by engineers. Our work is crucial to the national net zero agenda, and we know this, but to secure the interest of the next generation we need to make sure that our role is widely understood.

I hope that those that enter the engineering industry will find it as rewarding as I do, so I will also continue to prioritise mentoring – which will hopefully open up opportunities for others.

For more information about our apprenticeship programme, visit our apprenticeships page.