My journey from apprenticeship to chartered engineer

I have recently achieved the status of Chartered Engineer (CEng) with CIBSE. This achievement has given me a chance to reflect on the 10-year journey at Cundall that has taken me here. My path has been different from others in the industry and showcases the many ways someone with determination and a passion for learning can succeed in the construction industry and data centre sector. 

Choosing the apprenticeship path

In 2015, I left school after completing my GCSEs. When it came to choosing what I would do next, I felt like I had a natural path. My father works in the building services industry, and I grew up hearing many stories about complex projects that made engineering an exciting choice for me. However, there was still a choice: sixth form then university, or to take an apprenticeship where I could learn on the job.

Real-world experience mattered to me. The bonus of earning while learning and using this to fund my education made the decision clear. After plenty of research, I interviewed at Cundall's Birmingham office and was thrilled to start as a Trainee Engineer in September 2015. Attending my first office social the week before I began helped me settle my nerves, as I was able to meet my mentor, my assigned 'buddy', and learn the names of my new colleagues in a relaxed setting.  

Learning on the job

The shift from school to work was tough but rewarding. Longer days, information overload, and being in a new environment brought about a lot of changes to what I was used to. My first project was working with Rolls-Royce, which was my first experience with a large-scale project, which sparked the passion that still drives me today. Initially, my role focused on AutoCAD and 3D Revit, while I furthered my basic system knowledge under the guidance of mentors. 
 
Shortly after, I attended my first site visit, an experience that will always stick with me. Seeing the ductwork, which was big enough to walk through, gave me a sense of the scale and complexity of the designs I was working on. This cemented my interest in mechanical design and paved the way to my current work with data centre facilities. 
 
Alongside my work, I studied one day a week at South and City College Birmingham to get my Level 3 Ordinary National Certificate (ONC). Balancing assignments with project deadlines was challenging, but my persistence and the support of the team around me helped this to pay off. In 2020, I achieved my Level 4 Higher National Certificate (HNC) and was promoted to Engineer. 

Hitting the key milestones

As my apprenticeship continued, my confidence grew, and with that came more opportunities: 

• In 2017, I won Apprentice of the Year.
• I achieved the status of EngTech as a Licetiate member with CIBSE (LCIBSE) and the Engineering Council.
• I took on bigger roles, including working on major schemes such as the development of Battersea Power Station and leading smaller projects. 

By this point, I was making a real impact with my work at Cundall and adding value to my team. 

Despite this, there were challenges. One of the toughest came during my part-time bachelor's degree: COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, remote work, virtual lectures, and industry uncertainty made things challenging, particularly at such a key part of my career.  
 
This time came with late nights and long hours. However, with the support of my team, I graduated in 2022 with a first-class honours in Building Services Engineering from De Montfort University. This was a significant achievement, marking another milestone in my career.  

Entering the data centre sector

After my degree, I moved into the Data Centre team at Cundall. This sector focused on designing complex, multi-disciplinary data centre projects, which was really exciting. Around this time, I also achieved my Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status as an Associate Member with CIBSE (ACIBSE) and the Engineering Council. Now that I had this, I set my sights towards Chartership.  
 
Thanks to my new role in the data centre sector, I began building my portfolio to showcase CEng criteria. As I didn't have a master's degree, I reviewed other options for achieving chartered engineer status. The immediate answer was to prepare a technical report to present to CIBSE and complete the subsequent interview to assess my competence in the required criteria. Having already enjoyed my time working on data centre design, I decided to write my report on 'The importance of waste heat recovery in data centres'. The report focused on different waste heat technologies and how they could be implemented into the design. This included exporting to local heat networks or utilising it on-site, which comes with sustainability benefits. 
 
In January 2025, I was promoted to Senior Engineer within the data centre team. With this came more responsibility on projects as well as the opportunity to mentor junior staff, much as I had had when I was coming up. This meant so much to me, and all that was next was to achieve my chartered status.  

Achieving chartership

I reached my next milestone in August 2025, when I submitted my technical report to CIBSE for review. After this, an initial review took place, and I was offered an interview to present my report. This period was busy with preparing the presentation, and the interview came around fast. Each night, I rehearsed and practised my presentation until the day came. 
 
After my presentation, I was asked to respond to comments and scrutiny by the interviewers. They provided me with good feedback, and I was informed that I wouldn't hear back from the panel for a few weeks. This time was nerve-wrecking, but I had my team to support me and my projects to keep my mind occupied. A few weeks went by, and I was successfully awarded my Chartered Engineer status. This was my greatest achievement to date and marked the end of a path 10 years in the making.

What's next?

Transitioning from a GCSE student to an apprentice, then to an engineer, and finally to chartered status has been an amazing journey. I'm grateful to Cundall for seeing the value that apprentices can bring to an organisation, and that there are many pathways into this industry.  
 
The data centre industry only continues to grow and change. My journey has taught me that there is always an opportunity to learn and grow. Looking to the future, I'm excited to learn more about the emerging technologies that will impact my role. Additionally, now that I have become more senior, I'm excited to support the next generation of apprentices in achieving their goals, just as I did.  
 
Choosing an apprenticeship can be a daunting idea at first, particularly in a culture that prioritises traditional education, such as university. However, it is an option that can provide all the benefits that an academic route can provide, but with greater exposure to a real working environment. If you are considering an apprenticeship, I have some advice: Work hard, stay curious, and embrace the challenge because the rewards that come are worth it.