Looking after the technical, organising and supervising side of construction projects.
This occupation is found in the construction, built environment and engineering sectors, with civil engineering senior technicians employed in a variety of organisation types and sizes.
The broad purpose of the occupation is coordinate, manage and provide the technical planning, design, building, management, maintenance or dismantling of the built environment (such as buildings, structures, parks and public spaces, schools, offices, museums, hospitals) and infrastructure, such as transportation (road, rail, bridges, tunnels, ports and airports), water and waste management, marine and coastal engineering (irrigation systems, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), flood, river and coastal defences), water and power supplies (utilities, hydropower, power stations, nuclear plants, on and offshore wind farms).
Civil engineering senior technicians use and apply their technical knowledge, underpinned by scientific principles and theories, propose numerous suitable techniques, procedures and methods to undertake and deliver civil engineering solutions. They need to source, review, analyse and evaluate a range of data and information, perform advanced calculations, and analyse civil engineering problems to reach proven solutions.
Senior technicians prepare, produce and present civil engineering information, designs and documentation, with regard for the practical need to deliver, manage, assess and improve civil engineering solutions to relevant codes of practice and industry standards (for example, Construction Design and Management (CDM), the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), or managing information over the whole life cycle of a built asset using Building Information Modelling (BIM) via ISO 19650), to statutory and regulatory requirements (such as the Building Safety Act), and in compliance with health, safety and wellbeing requirements.
They use appropriate analytical and computational software, including engineering analysis software (for example, CAD) or digital data modelling processes, to prepare, produce, and communicate civil engineering solutions, recognising the limitations of the techniques and outputs produced, and where continuous improvement may be useful. Some senior technicians will also select appropriate materials and perform tests on these.
With the need to mitigate the detrimental effects on the environment and an increased drive for sustainability, senior technicians will need to consider the whole life cycle of a built asset, ensuring the civil engineering solutions and projects they are engaged with, align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), respond to net-zero carbon emissions targets and are compliant with climate change acts, and environmental and sustainability policies and legislation.
Civil engineering senior technicians also inform and manage tasks, team members and resources within their allocation, but also contribute to broader and more complex civil engineering solutions, applying appropriate project management knowledge and techniques, use quality systems and risk assessment procedures to mitigate risks, and improve safe systems of work. Senior technicians may also commission, carry out, or review site inspections or surveys, report progress against project plans, or check specified technical aspects of design or site-based activities.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with their line manager, typically a senior civil engineer or site manager, to confirm programmes of work, agree individual and team responsibilities, budgets and resources, which support the delivery of wider plans across civil engineering projects; these teams could include other technicians or specialist contactors for which they may be responsible for, engineers across a range of disciplines from various employer types (e.g. clients, consultancies, contractors), and project managers, where their collective outputs will be used to produce civil engineering solutions that are fit for purpose, safe, secure, environmentally sustainable, and meet customer and industry specifications.
Senior technicians are also exposed to other professional disciplines, such as building services engineers, construction managers, surveyors, architects, planners, environmental practitioners, or legal teams. As well as liaising with internal colleagues, often across a variety of multidisciplinary areas, some senior technicians are also responsible for working with customers, suppliers, manufacturers, and stakeholders or with representatives from appropriate regulatory bodies.
Civil engineering senior technicians, depending on their employer, will spend their time in an office environment, working on site, working remotely or a combination of these. There is also potential for visiting customers, suppliers, or manufacturers.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for delivering civil engineering technical solutions, ensuring accuracy and quality, for which they are responsible for the technical management of, within agreed time and resource limits, compliant with industry, regulatory and legislative standards, such as the Building Safety Bill, and to broadly defined specifications. Civil engineering technicians must also comply with health and safety regulations, including the Construction (Design and Management) regulation, and environmental and sustainability policies.
Senior technicians also supervise other team members, communicating, agreeing and managing tasks that they and others complete, ensuring these meet appropriate standards and specified outcomes, and that work is carried out in a safe environment and the wellbeing of those involved is safeguarded.
Senior technicians are able to use their own judgement when undertaking the occupational duties and apply their knowledge, skills, and behaviours in a range of contexts and environments, adapting to issues that arise, informing the actions to be taken and reviewing the effectiveness of these actions. They are also responsible for their own, and promoting the benefits of, continuing professional development, and recognising their own obligations to society.
This summary page outlines the information that you and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should also read the end-point assessment plan for the full details including roles and responsibilities, assessment method requirements and re-sits and re-takes.
An EPA is an assessment at the end of the apprenticeship. It assesses your competence against the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) on the occupational standard. You will have been trained on them during your training, both on and off the job. The EPA is your chance to show an independent assessor you can do the occupation you have been trained for. Your employer will only recommend you start the EPA when you have finished your training and both your employer and you think you are ready. Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should provide you with support on what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.
The typical length of the on-programme (training) part of this apprenticeship is 36 months. The end-point assessment period will typically last 4 months.
The grades available for this apprenticeship are:
Technical project report and presentation with questioning
Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio
At the end of the apprenticeship, and having passed the EPA, you will be awarded with your apprenticeship certificate.
The gateway is the point when all on-programme training and any mandatory qualification requirements have been met. When you have completed your training and your employer says you are competent in your occupation, you enter the gateway. The EPAO will check any mandatory qualifications are complete. They will tell you how to submit any necessary documents (for example, a portfolio). After the EPAO confirms that you have met all the requirements, the EPA starts.
When you reach the gateway, you need to complete the following:
Have passed English and maths at level 2.
1For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and mathematics minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for those who have BSL as their primary language.
Portfolio of evidence requirements: Apprentices must compile a portfolio of evidence during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship. It should contain evidence related to the KSBs that will be assessed by this assessment method. The portfolio of evidence will typically contain 12 discrete pieces of evidence. Evidence should be mapped against the KSBs. Evidence may be used to demonstrate more than one KSB; a qualitative as opposed to quantitative approach is suggested. Evidence must cover the following areas: Evidence sources may include evidence of work undertaken which may be supported by: This is not a definitive list; other evidence sources can be included. The portfolio should not include reflective accounts or any methods of self-assessment. Any employer contributions should focus on direct observation of performance (for example witness statements) rather than opinions. The evidence provided should be valid and attributable to the apprentice; the portfolio of evidence should contain a statement from the employer and apprentice confirming this. The EPAO should not assess the portfolio of evidence directly as it underpins the discussion. Independent assessors should review the portfolio of evidence to prepare questions for the discussion assessment method. They are not required to provide feedback after this review.
For the professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio you must submit: portfolio of evidence
Passed any other mandated qualifications listed in the occupational standard. For the civil engineering senior technician,
The qualification(s) required are:
A Level 4 qualification in Construction and Built Environment that meets the knowledge requirements of the standard and is approved by the Engineering Council as meeting the learning outcomes specified for Engineering Technician (EngTech) at level 4
The EPAO will issue the technical project brief to the apprentice at gateway aligned to their engineering specialism. The technical project brief will reflect a real work-based civil engineering challenge in a subject area, providing a focus on an area such as: The technical project brief, designed and issued by the EPAO, will typically be 500 words in length. The EPAO will design and issue guidance with the technical brief. Technical project reports must include:. The apprentice must prepare a technical project report with appendices of supporting evidence relating to the technical project. The technical project report and all appendices of supporting evidence directly demonstrating performance of KSBs must be attributable to the apprentice in full. Evidence must be accompanied by a witness statement outlining the apprentice’s contribution, signed by the apprentice and their employer thereby authenticating it. Example appendices of supporting evidence may include: This list is not definitive and other evidence sources apart from self-reflection are permissible. To allow the apprentice to apply for professional registration on completion of the apprenticeship, two independent assessors must holistically assess all assessment methods, in line with the independent assessor requirements set out in this plan. They will have equal responsibility in grading the assessment. The use of two independent assessors will enable the provision of balance to assessment, to bring in greater breadth and depth of technical expertise to questioning and discussion with the apprentice, elucidating more accurate grading decisions. In the event that the two independent assessors cannot agree on whether to grade the technical project and presentation with a pass, fail or distinction, the EPAO is required to moderate in accordance with their moderation procedures. The EPAO will then make the final decision on the grade to award based on the assessment evidence presented.
Project with an report output: you You will be asked to complete a project. The EPAO will advise you of suggested project titles and the detailed specification. As part of the project, you need to write a report and submit this to the EPAO. The report should be a maximum of (with a 10% tolerance). The minimum requirements of the project are:
Apprentices will undertake a technical project after they have passed the gateway and produce a report that appropriately covers all of the KSBs assigned to this method of assessment.
You will have 6 weeks to complete the project and submit the report to the EPAO.
Discussion: you will meet with the independent assessor in a quiet place that is free from distractions and be asked questions. The professional discussion will last 40 and the independent assessor will ask a minimum of 6 questions to find out how well you can do your job. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence during the apprenticeship. Your training provider and employer should discuss this with you. You can use your portfolio of evidence to help you answer questions in the .This method may take place remotely, though the EPAO will confirm the details. You will be given at least 3 weeks notice of the professional discussion.
If you have a query that relates to your job, then please speak to your employer. You should speak to your training provider if you have any other questions about the apprenticeship including the end-point assessment. You should get detailed support from the EPAO before the EPA begins. Your employer and training provide should talk to you when they think you are ready to take the EPA. The EPA is for you to show how good you are at your job. You should speak to your training provider about what to expect in the EPA and how to prepare. You should speak to the EPAO if your EPA has already started, and you have a query.
If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.
This apprenticeship aligns with Engineering Council (EngTech) for level 4. The experience gained and responsibility held by the apprentice on completion of the apprenticeship will either wholly or partially satisfy the requirements for registration at this level.
Please contact the relevant professional body for more details.