A Sixth Form student at Saint Benedict has secured a prestigious apprenticeship with the UK’s largest construction and infrastructure provider.
Craig Sindol, 17, beat competition from dozens of applicants and will start a four-year degree apprenticeship with Balfour Beatty in September 2026.
The teenager’s journey started when he completed two weeks of work experience at the company, which has 27,000 employees across the UK, US and Hong Kong.
He said: “I knew I wanted to go into engineering but I wasn’t sure what type of engineering I wanted to do. I did work experience in civil engineering and I really enjoyed it. I like infrastructure and looking at methods and creating solutions that benefit people.”
After such a positive experience, Craig applied for an apprenticeship and the first step was submitting his CV and completing an online test.
Shortly after that, he received a call to say that he had progressed to the next round and was invited to a test centre in Derby where he took part in a group task and was interviewed.
Craig said: “There were lot of applicants and I was the only one from Derby in my time slot. Some of the other applicants were from Edinburgh, Somerset and Liverpool. At first I was very nervous but the group task eased me into it and I think the work experience that I’d done really helped me to answer questions in my interview.”
A week later Craig got the call to say that he had been successful and secured the apprenticeship.
He said: “My hands were shaking and I couldn’t speak. I was so happy. That was my first ever interview. My family were really happy when I called them to tell them. I am excited to start. My teachers were really happy for me too. They have been so supportive and I am really thankful for that.”
The apprenticeship will see Craig gain a Level 6 qualification in civil engineering.
Angela King, Senior Assistant Headteacher, congratulated Craig and said: “We are so proud of Craig, his hard work has paid off. A bright young man with a bright future ahead!”
