Alex Tallett, a student at Withernsea High School between 2018 and 2022, has joined the company as an apprentice engineer through their degree apprenticeship programme.

Sharing his career journey, Alex said:

“My journey started on GCSE results day. I opened my letter and was more than happy with what I found inside. It meant I was able to go to my first choice of college - Wyke Sixth Form College. I enrolled at college and decided to take A-Level Maths and Physics as well as a CTEC in Engineering.

“I worked my way through the first year and it passed in a blur. Then it came to the beginning of the second year when everybody’s focus turns to what comes after college and creating applications. I knew that university was not the right path for me, so my options were either an apprenticeship or the forces.

“I was able to attend the Wyke Careers Fair which gave me an idea of what sort of jobs were available within Engineering. I started applying for different jobs through ‘Indeed’ when I came across the Balfour Beatty Degree Apprenticeship. This reminded me of the site visit that I was very lucky to attend at the start of year 11. We toured the A63 site [of major road improvements through Hull] and got a glimpse of the true scale of the works that were being undertaken.

“I immediately sent off my CV and received an interview which was scheduled for April. During my interview one of the questions I was asked was ‘Why did I pick Balfour Beatty?’’. To which I answered: ‘If it was not for the site visit two years prior, it would have never even been on my radar’. But I was very grateful for the opportunity I was given.

“I was walking home from college in May when I received a call from the Balfour Beatty recruitment office offering me the job, which I instantly accepted. My start date was set for September 2nd. So, I completed my A-Levels and enjoyed my last summer before starting work.

“I came in on the first day completely overwhelmed by it all. Once I was inducted, I was able to go on site and start working. My first site visit was surreal, I was working in the place that I had visited three years ago - I couldn’t believe it. Even now, I see school trips pass over the bridge across the work site and think about how that was me not very long ago and how far I have come since then.”

ABOVE: Alex Tallett, as a degree apprentice engineer, on the site of the A63 road improvements in 2024.

BELOW: Alex (second from left) on a school careers trip to the same site in 2021.