NAW 2025 – Alina Yakymovych’s Journey

As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we speak to Alina Yakymovych, Apprentice Design Engineer at calfordseaden. Alina shares her experiences as an apprentice whilst working towards completing her Level 4 Building Service Engineering Senior Technician course at London South Bank University.

Finding My Apprenticeship

I moved to the UK from Ukraine in 2022 and despite having an education and professional experience in law, I always had a passion for the designing of buildings and spaces. My first job after moving to the UK was as a Project Assistant.

After continuing to learn English and gaining more experience in the construction industry, my friends told me about the apprenticeship opportunity available at calfordseaden and I thought it was an amazing opportunity for myself.

My Passion for Design Engineering

Engineering allows you to focus on the basics and the foundations of a project, which is something I find interesting. I feel as if my passion for design, my experience in the industry, and my course has provided me with an overview of the industry and how to create innovative solutions. I find the process of going on-site and witnessing drawings being converted into buildings fascinating.

My Responsibilities as an Apprentice

As an Apprentice Design Engineer, my day-to-day responsibilities involve creating drawings, calculations, site visits, and reviewing other engineers’ designs as a Design Guardian.

My Experiences at calfordseaden

Since joining calfordseaden in February 2024, I have found all my colleagues to be very helpful, friendly, and willing to share their experiences with me. I started my HNC course in October and my colleagues have always made themselves available to provide guidance and support.

I am enjoying the balance an apprenticeship provides, combining both practical and theoretical skills. An apprenticeship requires a lot of self-study, allocating time to read textbooks and revising is a necessity.

Aims and Advice

In the short-term, I aim to complete my course and continue to progress in my career through gaining as much knowledge and experience as possible. I would also like to explore networking opportunities with fellow engineers, such as the CIBSE Young Engineers Network.

For those considering an apprenticeship, I would suggest gaining some work experience in a field you are interested in. Just one- or two-weeks work experience can give you a lot of insight into the role and industry.