Forward-thinking degree apprenticeship graduate wins prestigious engineering award

A talented engineering graduate who undertook a degree apprenticeship with Teesside University and Wood PLC has achieved the Transporter Bridge Award in recognition of his innovative final project.

The Transporter Bridge Award recognises outstanding engineering graduates who have demonstrated their talents and technical skills to develop pioneering solutions to tackle real-world issues in their final projects.

It was created jointly by the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Teesside University.

Award winner Daniel Crow, 24, from Whitley Bay, received a first-class honours degree in BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering as part of the degree apprenticeship route at Teesside University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, and was praised for his outstanding work by the awarding bodies.

For the final project, Daniel created an innovative, eco-conscious report which analysed two different process solutions to remove phosphorus from wastewater effluent. To form part of the narrative, Daniel analysed data and information from two sewage treatment works.

He said: “I feel extremely honoured to have received the Transporter Bridge Award. It is great to be recognised by the University, ICE and CIHT for my efforts on the final year dissertation. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my four years at Teesside University on the degree apprenticeship programme, and the teaching staff have all been very supportive throughout my time here.

“My focus now is on completing the end point assessment to become a professionally qualified civil engineer with the ICE.”

Daniel has been working in the water and energy from waste industry with Wood PLC throughout his course, and the knowledge he has gained within the workplace has played a significant role to enable him to achieve top grades as well as the Transporter Bridge Award.

Paula McMahon, who presented the award as former ICE North East Chair and founding Chair of Engineering Together, said: “I was delighted to present Daniel with the award which recognised his real-world final year project on behalf of Liam Simpson, ICE Teesside Branch Chair.

“This project on wastewater quality not only contributed to Dan’s own degree apprenticeship qualification but also to a real-world problem.

“As a former ICE North East Regional Chair and founding Chair of Engineering Together, I believe that ongoing and sustained collaboration between Teesside University and local companies is vital to our collective future.”

Peter Conlan, who represented the North East and Cumbria Branch CIHT at the presentation, added: “It was great to be back at Teesside University again this year to present the joint CIHT and ICE Transporter Bridge Award on behalf of the North East and Cumbria Branch CIHT to this year’s winner.

“Daniel is a very worthy recipient of this award and has done exceptionally well to achieve such a high score in his final year dissertation whilst managing to balance his academic studies alongside working full time.”

Teesside University has partnered with a number of high-profile employers to deliver a wide range of degree apprenticeship opportunities to students, who can earn an academic qualification while they build real-world experience through a tailored combination of vocational and theoretical work.

Daniel’s studies on the BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering degree apprenticeship programme, which is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators, representing the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation and the Institute of Highway Engineers, as well as his work with Wood PLC, enabled him to develop key skills and experience within industry.

Valeria Bona, Course Leader for the BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering course, said: “Daniel is a very worthy recipient of the Transporter Bridge Award.

“As part of his final year project, he performed a comparative study of phosphorus removal techniques for wastewater treatment processes. This is a very topical issue, as with the new tighter consent levels for phosphorus in the UK, water companies have to improve their phosphorus removal techniques.

“It is excellent to see how our Civil Engineering students continue to select industry-relevant topics for their final year research projects, demonstrating high levels of professionalism and the ability to contextualise their learning.”

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