Atkins is seeking 15 apprentices to work on a range of projects in its highways and transportation business.The projects range from nationally significant infrastructure projects such as HS2 and smart motorways, through to locally important schemes including the West Midlands Highways Alliance Framework.The new apprenticeship placements will be based at the company’s offices across the UK, including Birmingham, Epsom, Swansea and Warrington. Successful applicants will be working towards a professional qualification in their chosen field, while honing their skills and getting valuable experience in the workplace.Philip Hoare, managing director for Atkins’ highways and transportation business, said: “We not only need to make engineering a more attractive career, but we must have alternative routes for young people to enter our profession, otherwise we will have to deal with the consequences of solving future transport challenges without enough qualified people.“Apprenticeships will have an increasingly important role to play in this regard. We know there are many talented young people out there who have the basic skills needed to be great engineers. Our apprenticeships offer a great way for young people to embark on a career which offers the opportunity to work on real, exciting projects and learn from the current generation of experts at the same time as achieving their qualifications.”Jordan Brien joined Atkins in August 2013 as a trainee technician in the highways and transportation business. He said: “The best part about being an apprentice is having the ability to study in college part time and also be in work building relationships with experienced engineers in my team.”Atkins currently employs over 140 apprentices and 1,181 graduates across the UK.For further information about Atkins’ apprenticeship scheme visit http://careers.atkinsglobal.com/apprentices