Ethan’s fantastic week doing work experience at APEM

We believe it’s important to inspire and encourage the scientists of the future. That’s why we offer work experience to school students interested in environmental science. Earlier this year, Ethan spent a week with us at our head office in Stockport. He got a taste of what it’s like to work at a consultancy specialising in aquatic and freshwater ecology. Ethan got stuck in, from testing water quality to undertaking sample analysis. Here’s his account of his week with us:

I found APEM to be a fantastic opportunity to explore future work as an environmental scientist. Upon arriving at APEM I walked into a incredibly friendly atmosphere and was greeted by Matt. He guided me through the week, following various different jobs, with various scientists everyday whilst teaching me the necessary skills to complete the jobs.

I was immediately provided with all the appropriate safety equipment and knowledge to ensure my maximum safety and comfort whilst working. I was then introduced to the storage and was amazed by the available equipment and the stories behind them.

It was both an educational and fun experience, as we were able to use a boat on the Salford Quays to test water quality. Within my three days of macroinvertebrate sampling, I gained all the skills needed to run a sample by myself. I also briefly covered office work and data representation which has given me an advantage in school classes and my geography NEA where data representation is important.

After talking with the employees at APEM it has provided me with ideas for universities and possible courses that could lead to a similar field such as APEM in the future.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in making my week fantastic.

Get in touch with our HR team if you’d like to do work experience with us. If you are interested in working at APEM, check out our brand new careers website.