Apprentice (Project Controller)

United Utilities

Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 3LP

Closes in 26 days (Wednesday 19 February)

Posted on 24 January 2025


Summary

Are you ready to live your future? Do you want to be part of building a greener, healthier, and stronger North West? Come and join us! With a range of award-winning roles on offer, you’re sure to find your perfect career here at United Utilities. We’ll provide you with industry-leading skills and experience you need to succeed in your chosen field.

Wage
£19,000 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

You have a starting salary of £19,000, which will increase each year based on performance

Training course
Project controls technician (level 3)
Hours
Usually Monday - Friday between 9.00am - 5.00pm.

37 hours a week

Possible start date

Wednesday 3 September

Duration

2 years 6 months

Positions available

2

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

As an Apprentice Project Controller, you’ll learn how to:

  • Develop a strong foundation in tracking project budgets, analysing variances, and maintaining financial accuracy, a key stepping stone in project management
  • Analyse financial data and create insightful reports, learning how these skills directly influence successful project delivery
  • Contribute to planning and scheduling activities, building your understanding of how to align resources, budgets, and timelines effectively
  • Engage with diverse stakeholders, enhancing your teamwork and communication skills while gaining insight into how different roles drive project success
  • Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard project management software, equipping you with practical skills for future roles
  • Build a pathway to leadership, by working closely with project managers, you’ll gain valuable exposure to the responsibilities of project leadership, preparing you for future progression in your career

Where you’ll work

Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington

WA5 3LP

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

T3 TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT LTD

Your training course

Project controls technician (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents
  • Develop work breakdown and coding structures to meet the scope laid out in the projects’ technical information and specification, ensuring that the controls will monitor project progress and performance accurately.
  • Manage data: source, retrieve, check, edit, format, record and analyse data – using it to create relevant time, cost and resource reports.
  • Estimate: develop cost estimates for defined scopes of work, create appropriate benchmarks, analyse quotes from sub- contractors and suppliers, and input to tenders and the early stages of projects.
  • Schedule and plan: break down the scope into activities to create a logical linked control schedule to input to the development of outline and integrated plans and baseline schedules; identify critical milestones; gather accurate progress data for controlling the schedule; and monitor progress.
  • Cost engineer and control: prepare control budgets, carry out cost control activities, gather and interpret cost data, monitor progress on a regular basis, interpret trends and forecasts; keep in line with contractual requirements, maintain baselines; ensure accurate reporting and control.
  • Monitor progress/performance and analyse data: associated with milestones, schedules, progress, manpower, resource and costs; undertake earned value analysis, create progress reports and identify variances from plan and likely consequences if no corrective action is taken.
  • Use computer based technology: model potential trends and resource use etc. using the right software package for the right task.
  • Problem solve: recommend early corrective actions to reduce variances, identify issues and risks, present and maintain related action plans and contingencies.
  • Effectively communicate: with good interpersonal skills and share the right information with the right people in an appropriate format to enable effective project control.
  • Input to project closeout: generate key benchmarks and outturns including lessons learnt.
  • Observe and apply professional ethics, and maintain a duty of care.
  • Apply safety in the context of the role: comply with relevant national and international health, safety and environmental requirements.
  • Work in accordance with company management systems, policies and procedures: especially those relating to quality, data security, risk, change and document management.

Your training plan

Your apprenticeship will last 30 months, and successful apprentices will achieve a Project Controls Technician; Level 3 standard, endorsed by the Institute for Apprenticeships.

During your apprenticeship, you may need to travel to your place of study. If you’re from outside the area, accommodation will be provided by United Utilities during this period (excluding weekends). Please consider travel requirements and staying away from home if applicable.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • 5 subjects incl. Maths, English & Science/Tech (grade A-C or 9-4)

Other in:

  • - (grade equivalent A-C or 9-4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Patience

Other requirements

Offers subject to pre-employment checks before your appointment can be confirmed. Any offer of employment with United Utilities will be subject to a satisfactory report from the Disclosure Scotland/ the Disclosure and Barring Service. Please only apply for one apprenticeship. Please note that we are unable to offer Visa sponsorship for this role.

About this company

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. Our purpose is to provide great water and more for the North West. We deliver 1.8 billion litres of water a day to more than 3 million homes and businesses in the North West, as well as treating all the wastewater which disappears around the U-bend. Keeping the region flowing relies on a vast behind the scenes operation, involving hundreds of reservoirs, treatment works and pumping stations; thousands of kilometres of water pipes and sewers and a 5,000 strong workforce.

http://www.unitedutilities.com/corporate/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Our apprentices are well looked after, with a generous salary, 26 days of leave (excluding bank holidays), a £500 contribution towards learning to drive, and many more benefits.

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Every apprentice is guaranteed a permanent position at the end of their scheme provided all requirements are met.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

United Utilities

UU Early Careers

UUEarlyCareers@uuplc.co.uk

03301754408

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000298283.

Apply now

Closes in 26 days (Wednesday 19 February)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.