Enhance your learning with practice
All final year civil engineering students benefit from an experiential learning trip to Constructionarium Ltd in National Construction College, Bircham Newton, Norfolk. This annual trip allows students to work on real projects and gain hands-on experience. This year, students worked on and completed a scaled down version of the Brewery Wharf Footbridge. The work took place over a week and involved preparing method statements, risk assessments, planning and building the footbridge.
Meanwhile, in February 2023, civil engineering students studying the Water Engineering module took part in a site visit with staff to MWH Treatment at Thames Water Gateway Treatment Plant. As well as a site visit, students listened to a presentation delivered by staff at the treatment plant – all useful experience to help them solidify their learning in this elective module about flood hydraulics, hydrology and water treatment. Civil Engineering Students from various year groups also visited Duke Meadows Regeneration Pedestrian Footbridge in a unique opportunity to gain understanding in environmental and access challenges and solutions in construction projects.
Take advantage of great local links
There are opportunities too for students in other years of study. The University of Greenwich Medway Campus is situated near the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, and all first-year engineering students, regardless of which course they are studying, attend a field trip to the Dockyard, accessing the site free of charge. The field trip acts as an icebreaking and networking exercise and is also valuable in teaching students about the naval history of the region and its links to engineering.
Students are also encouraged to take advantage of great local links in the southeast and in London to carry out site visits when completing their individual final year projects. Kashmalai Amjad visited the River Lea last year as part of a field trip organised by her project supervisor Dr Cecilia MacLeod to assist her with her research and understanding of microplastics, while Destiny Ojo carried out site visits to several construction sites as part of her project about the construction industry.
Opportunities close to home
While students are encouraged to network during these field trips, there are also opportunities on-campus for students to develop their employability skills. In February 2023, a Careers Fair was held on the Medway Campus specially for civil and environmental engineering students, which was organised by the Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Society with support from staff, the Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, and the University's Employability Team. The event consisted of a session on CV-building, presentations on careers and industry from external industry experts, a networking lunch, and an opportunity for interview practice in front of a panel.
This workshop was intended to improve the employability skills of civil engineering and environmental engineering students and allow them to network with industry professionals. I was grateful to have been part of the organising team behind this event.
Rasheed Ojikutu, MSc Civil Engineering student, Civil and Environmental Engineering Society President
It is clear students have appreciated the opportunities in front of them both at home and away – BEng Civil Engineering at the University of Greenwich currently holds a 96% overall student satisfaction rating (NSS, 2022) and is 2nd in the UK in this category (The Complete University Guide, 2022).
