National Apprenticeship Week: Q&A with Wayne Eustace

This week we are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week to highlight the incredible trainees we have here at CPW. Established more than twenty years ago, our apprenticeship programme is committed to nurturing home-grown talent and bridging the skills gap by taking on apprentices straight out of school, college, and university.

Director Wayne Eustace, who oversees the program, explains more.

Director Wayne Eustace

Why are apprenticeships so important at CPW?

Here at CPW, we pride ourselves on leading the way in supporting and nurturing the talent of future engineers, so it is a privilege to oversee the development of our young engineers.

We are firm believers in finding home grown talent and nurturing them into the stars of tomorrow. Apprenticeships are also a great way to increase the diversity of our workforce as we’re taking on more and more women and students from minority backgrounds, which is incredibly encouraging for our industry.

Engineering often carries a certain perception and it can be hard to recruit. By visiting schools, colleges and careers fairs we’re hoping to break down some of those preconceptions and show that it’s a great industry with the opportunity to work on some fantastic projects.

How many apprentices do you have at CPW?

This year we have taken on 12 new apprentices. However, we’re very proud that more than 15% of our workforce is currently part of the apprenticeship program, making up a total of 35 across a variety of levels in all offices, and solidifying our investment into the next generation of engineers.  

How do you select apprentices?

We select apprentices and trainees from local schools and colleges close to each of our offices and offer a balanced viable pathway into engineering for those who don’t want to go straight to university.  

All the trainees, apprentices, and graduates we take on must demonstrate a sound ability in maths and science, due to the technical nature of being an engineer, but also a keen passion or a ‘spark’. For many it’s their first ever job so we try and ascertain why they’re interested in engineering – it’s about identifying about potential. 

Why are apprenticeships a good option for those looking at the construction industry?

We’ve now brought over 100 new engineers into the industry through our training and development schemes in the last ten years alone – which is incredibly impressive for an M&E consultancy. Some of our directors even began as CPW trainees, so it’s a part of the business we’re really proud of and we’re thrilled to be filling the industry skills gap with our homegrown talent.

For further information please get in touch with the team or follow @CPWengineering on social media.