At 4way, we believe in supporting the development of future talent across the transport technology sector. So, when the opportunity arose to host Oliver Constable from National Highways for an apprenticeship placement focused on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), we were delighted to get involved.

Understanding how vital on-the-job experience is for apprentices, especially when it comes to building their technical portfolios, our team designed a placement programme that combined practical project involvement with tailored guidance and mentorship. Here’s what Oliver had to say about his time with us:

” As an apprentice, to realise the value from university modules I am expected to put my learning into practice in projects at work, which forms the basis of my technical portfolio. 4way Consulting kindly offered me a placement within their team to provide me with experience in a wide variety of ITS related projects. The team were fantastic at understanding the requirements for my apprenticeship programme. They specifically tailored a detailed plan of projects I could assist with to target each of my apprenticeship objectives. This was extremely beneficial and enabled me to forecast which objectives I would be able to evidence.

During my placement with 4way, I took part in a wide variety of projects in areas such as electrical installations, visual surveys, data analytics, information management, service management, and traffic signals design. The 4way team were always friendly, inclusive, and provided support when needed, creating a great environment for learning and development.

The experience was received very well and sparked my interest in certain areas of ITS, namely traffic signals, influencing me to pursue the area further post programme.

Initially I didn’t know what to expect, however, the placement clearly exceeded my expectations. After completing the placement, I felt very positive about the skills I had developed and the amount of evidence I had gained for my technical portfolio.

My action plan for now is to build upon the skills learnt from the placement and gain more experience in ITS, specifically in traffic signals. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with 4way. I would be keen to do something similar in future as it was very valuable experience and a great team to collaborate with.”

It was a pleasure to work with such an engaged and motivated individual, and we’re proud to have played a part in Oliver’s journey toward a career in ITS. Supporting early careers professionals is an important part of what we do at 4way, and we remain committed to creating opportunities that help shape the next generation of transport engineers and specialists.

Starting off on a path towards a career of graphic design that saw him establish his own wedding event services, Ismaeel has always had an interest in engineering. Influenced by his father’s aspiration to take on jobs that others would use professionals for, he eventually reached an epiphany and changed tack. This saw him join 4way, having been introduced by his brother, and start a level 3 BTEC engineering apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing at Warwickshire College Group.

Over the next four years, Ismaeel would spend time on day release from work learning theory and practical skills at college, then apply those skills in his project work. This proved to be a positive combination, allowing him to thrive and giving him the support he needed to balance work and study. His course project was a particular highlight, with his experience at work providing an ideal topic to focus on and input from colleagues to help refine its scope, ultimately resulting in his efforts receiving a distinction.  This set him up well for his end point assessment and ultimately him successfully completing the course and receiving his EngTech from the Institute for Mechanical Engineering.

4way is proud to have another apprentice graduate, setting them up to grow in their career and act as champions for others looking to balance education and work. Ismaeel celebrated with a date night with his partner, a rare occurrence for parents of two young children, with 4way picking up the bill to top off the evening. Looking forward, he is aiming for his IEng as the next step of continual development and acting as a mentor for others following in his footsteps.

Reflecting on his achievement, Ismaeel said:
“My apprenticeship journey with 4way has been a big step forward in my career and a key moment in my life. It showed me that this was the right path to take, especially after spending time trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I’ve learned many useful skills that I now use in my day-to-day work, and I’ve had great support from both 4way and my colleagues, which has helped me grow both professionally and personally.

Now that I know what support is available to me here at 4way, I feel confident and ready to keep moving forward in my career.“