India Berry started a Level 6 Project Controls Degree Apprenticeship with Cavendish Nuclear in September 2024 at the age of 18.
From Manchester, but based in Warrington, India studies her theory with London Metropolitan College (LMC), doing online lectures two days every two weeks and in person once a month in Wimbledon.
The rest of her time is spent on-the-job training working on projects in a salaried role. For example, within her first two months she was involved on a nuclear decommissioning project.
We caught up with India at Project Controls Expo 2024 at Wembley Stadium in London to find out more about her project controls journey.
How I got into project controls
“At high school, I initially wanted to be a vet but then thought science isn’t really for me as I prefer maths and at A Levels I did geography, economics and politics,” she said.
“I feel like not a lot of people know about project controls. I went to career fairs, but there wasn’t too much on degree apprenticeships at those, it was mainly online I found out about project controls just going through different sites and providers.
“I found out about project controls degree apprenticeships through Babcock, as Cavendish Nuclear is a subsidiary of Babcock International Group.
“I like the idea of being an integral part of a team and I like to analyse stats, which attracted me to go down this route.”
The Project Controls Degree Apprenticeship programme at Cavendish Nuclear immerses apprentices in the technical disciplines of cost engineering, estimating, planning, scheduling and risk management.
Working alongside experienced and supportive individuals in the industry, apprentices get to assist in producing estimates, plans, and schedules; work on various reports to track and monitor project delivery across a spectrum of nuclear engineering and decommissioning projects; and receive training in project controls systems.
The programme is designed to prepare apprentices to take on roles such as project controller, cost engineer, planning engineer or risk specialist.
Variety in project controls
India says her initial research and first few months on the apprenticeship were a “real eye-opener” on the scope of work undertaken in the project controls profession.
“From a career I had no idea even existed, what has been amazing was learning how much variety there is in project controls, there are so many different avenues you can go down,” she added.
“You’ve got the risk, the cost, the planning, there’s so many different areas you can go down within a company. It keeps you engaged because there’s always something you can learn.
“I’m very motivated as there are so many opportunities, which is great for my future.”
Any advice for those considering a career in project controls?
“There is massive demand for project control professionals, so it’s definitely something people should consider,” says India.
“I’d recommend looking at degree apprenticeships. They’re competitive, but they’re so worth it in the long run as you get a salary and a degree.
“I’d say 100% explore all avenues, don’t just go to university because everyone else is going to uni. Think about what you want to do.”
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) project control training courses and qualifications provide skills training and occupational verification for all roles from technician to professional project controllers, estimators, planners, schedulers and cost engineers.
Developed with industry stakeholders, they focus on developing technical expertise as well as honing communication skills, fostering governance acumen, promoting continuous improvement, leveraging data analytics and contributing to carbon reduction and environmental sustainability.
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