North London Waste Authority (NLWA) is creating hundreds of green jobs for north London residents as part of a £1.2 billion project to transform Edmonton EcoPark in Enfield into a new sustainable waste hub and divert waste from landfill.
Over the next 10 years, NLWA will be setting out to support over 100 apprenticeships at the EcoPark. The roles will help to ‘kick-start careers’ for young people in a range of industries, the authority says.
So far, the project has welcomed 20 apprentices in roles covering ground and civil engineering, quantity surveying, construction management, and business administration. Fourteen of the apprentices live in the three closest boroughs to the site: Enfield, Haringey, and Waltham Forest.
To mark National Apprenticeship Week, which takes place this week from 7 to 13 February, NLWA apprentices spoke about their experience working on a nationally significant infrastructure project.
I have also been assisting supervisors on site conducting inspections, learning how to read construction drawings via developing a tracker for drainage and inspecting ground beams, steel work and manholes
Seekay Diep recently joined the project as a civil engineering apprentice, alongside her studies at London South Bank University. Seekay explained that she looks forward to starting a career where she can combine data analysis with creative problem solving. Since joining, she has worked on training modules such as the Construction Skill Certification Scheme.
“I have also been assisting supervisors on site conducting inspections, learning how to read construction drawings via developing a tracker for drainage and inspecting ground beams, steel work and manholes,” Seekay said.
Elias Antoniou also recently joined as a civil engineering apprentice. He has enjoyed collaborating with his colleagues and learning from the team’s experience. For Elias, an important aspect of the apprenticeship is being part of a major local development, having grown up in the area.
Merve Tunc is a business administration apprentice at the EcoPark. She decided to apply because of the opportunities available for development and progression.
Merve is gaining experience from working with a wide range of people on the project: “I get to interact with many people in the office as well as subcontractors, visitors and operatives, which has helped me with my networking skills”, Merve said.