Q&A coordinated with existing items on site that had heritage significance. No-one had undertaken the task of identifying clashes that could occur within the building. I carried out surveys, raised technical queries and chaired team meetings with key project stakeholders. This successful early identification ensured that the new services could be rerouted while not impacting the projects programme. What else are you doing in the industry? Harry is currently part of the team working on Manchester Town Hall Harry Playfair Winning attitude CIBSEs Technician Apprentice of the Year Harry Playfair discusses the benets of work-placed training and shares his rich experiences as a STEM ambassador in local schools E ach year, the CIBSE Young Engineers Awards recognise and reward some of the best new talent entering the building services industry, showcasing remarkable young people, as well as the businesses that nurture them. At the latest awards, in October, Harry Playfair, a building services project engineer apprentice at NG Bailey, won CIBSE Apprentice of the Year Technician (Level 3-4). Having started his apprenticeship in 2019, he is studying for a HNC in building services engineering, and is on track for a distinction. Harry is part of the NG Bailey team working on the restoration of Grade I-listed Manchester Town Hall. What projects have you been working on during your apprenticeship? I have had the opportunity to work on various projects, such as City Labs 2.0, Manchester Aquatics Centre, Manchester Metropolitan Universitys new science and engineering campus, and Manchester Town Hall. I have learned in areas such as project management, estimating, commercial, pre-construction, procurement, and commissioning. The diversity of the projects also brought new challenges, with each contributing to my apprenticeship learning and development. How has NG Bailey helped you develop as an engineer? The company provides an excellent opportunity for young people to embark on their careers. The structure of its programme enables apprentices to learn and develop key skills to do the job well. I have been surrounded by knowledgeable and experienced engineers who have assisted me with my technical understanding. Apprenticeships provide a great route into the industry, as knowledge, experience, skills, and lessons learned can be passed down to budding engineers. I have been fortunate to work in a variety of departments at NG Bailey, through different project stages. I have enjoyed collaborating with different project teams on site to deliver and install mechanical and electrical systems. From an apprentices perspective, visualising the installation of building services has been very important. What has been your biggest project to date? On the Manchester Town Hall project, one of my first responsibilities was to work alongside the heritage management team to ensure the new services being installed Volunteering is a positive and influential aspect of my job. As a STEM ambassador, I have led talks in schools and provided apprenticeship career sessions promoting the building services industry. I am passionate about encouraging students to consider an apprenticeship within the industry by sharing my experience and the knowledge Ive gained so far. What would you say to a young person considering an apprenticeship? I believe an apprenticeship in building services is truly for anyone, and is the future for the next generation of engineers. Not only do you gain key skills to make you a more desirable employee, but you also achieve sought-after qualifications all while avoiding student loans; a win-win situation. The apprenticeship route is hard work, but having the responsibility of balancing your studies contributing to your professional development through your knowledge, skills and behaviours while learning on a construction project is very rewarding. Has being involved in CIBSE helped your career? I was overwhelmed and proud to win CIBSE Apprentice of the Year. I have been able to develop new contacts within the industry and meet young, aspiring engineers like myself. It has also given me the opportunity to learn from peoples experiences and find out about the routes they have taken to enter the industry. This diversity is what I believe, as an industry, will contribute towards delivering low carbon sustainable buildings of the future. I hope to achieve engineering technician (EngTech) status with CIBSE this year, and one of my long-term aims is to achieve Chartered Engineer status. National Apprenticeship Week 2022 takes place from 7-13 February 2022. More information at bit.ly/CJFeb22NAW www.cibsejournal.com February 2022 31 CIBSE Feb22 pp31 Q&A Harry Playfair.indd 31 28/01/2022 16:21