To mark National Apprenticeship Week, degree apprentice Paulina Dolder discusses the challenges of balancing work with study and how she is contributing to Skanska’s sustainability priorities.
What first attracted you to construction?
Honestly, it was the scale of the work. There was something exciting about the idea of building massive structures and sliding bridges into place and I remember thinking, if that’s not a challenge, what is?
I enjoyed the prospect of working project‑to‑project with very knowledgeable, dedicated and collaborative people. I knew it would all be completely unfamiliar, which meant I could learn fast, work hard and contribute to something bigger.
In addition, I saw a huge window of opportunity for improvement once I came across some concerning carbon emissions for the industry. I knew then and there that they could do with some help in this department.
How did you find out about the apprenticeship at Skanska?
The role was on the gov.uk website. I started to look for degree apprenticeships just after National Apprenticeship Week, after a mate who is already on one introduced me to them.
“It was not easy to secure an apprenticeship. There was even a point where I almost gave up, but I reminded myself of the benefits and kept trying.”
I couldn’t believe it at first, so I checked the posting myself, and there it was: a degree, a salary, hands‑on experience and clear career progression all in one. During my search, I was working part‑time in banking and intentionally looking to transition into an environmental role.
It was not easy to secure an apprenticeship. There was even a point where I almost gave up, but I reminded myself of the benefits and kept trying. It’s a competitive market, so I used all the feedback from my failed interviews to really level up my game and apply the STAR [situation, task, action, result] method, which helped me highlight my experience, work ethic, attitude and approach.
Tell us about the project or tasks you’re working on at the moment
I’m currently supporting the first project of Network Rail’s CP7 framework – the Clifton Bridge replacement over the M6 in the beautiful Cumbrian Lake District. We have successfully replaced the post‑tensioned bridge with a new 4,200‑tonne steel structure that allows two West Coast Main Line trains to pass at the same time, increasing passenger and freight movement between London and Edinburgh.
The blockade, and the lead‑up to it, was a tense and challenging period for everyone involved, but it has been an absolute delight to see the final result turn out so gracefully.
Personally, I contributed to pollution prevention plans, developing the training matrix, and did a lot of client reporting. Now we are wrapping up the site compound and preparing for reinstatement works, as well as exploring many material‑reuse opportunities. This is the bit where sustainability gets really interesting for me. I’m excited to see what project floats into the pipeline next for the north-west and central region.
What is the most challenging part of your apprenticeship so far?
Definitely balancing work and study. Because everything is new, I’m constantly torn between exploring the job and keeping up with the academic side, and my schedule doesn’t always get followed perfectly. It takes real discipline to say, “No, I can’t go to that meeting, I actually need to study.”
The other challenge is confidence. When you’re surrounded by incredibly experienced designers, engineers and directors, you can feel like a sponge trying to soak up everything at once. Some days things click, and other days you’re thinking, what on earth just happened? But I’m learning to sit with that discomfort. It’s part of growing, and honestly, I’m loving every minute.
Do you see yourself staying in construction? How would you like your career to progress?
I’m not in a rush to pick one path forever, but I am ambitious and want to keep building enough knowledge and experience to eventually lead environmentally on projects or even whole programmes.
Right now, this industry feels like the right place to grow, learn from some brilliant people and shape projects we’ll be proud of in 10 or 20 years. If that takes me deeper into construction, great. If it leads me into broader environmental work, that’s great too.
At my core, I want to make sure that wherever I find myself, in the world or in my career progression, I’m able to do nature proud and do what’s in my power to steer the industry in that direction too.
