Nuclear Engineering Higher Apprentice Review

My role as a nuclear trainee is primarily a development opportunity. I rotate around different areas and departments within the business that relate to the nuclear function. These placements last for around 3-6 months and are very varied - some are office based and some are more hands-on. There is some flexibiity in the scheme which is good as it allows you to tailor your course to your personal ambitions. Inevitably different people enjoy different placements more than others. The only real downside to day-to-day work is that occassionally it can feel a little mundane as it takes a long time to build up enough techncial knowledge to feel liek you are making a difference. It can also be annoying to move to a new placement jsut as you get settled in your current placement - hwoever overall the system works really well.

I have definitely learnt lots of new skills in my rle, and the company provides a lot of opportunity for development. The technical knowledge that I have gained whilst working here is amazing - although sometimes it feels like a drop i nthe ocean! Other skills that i have developed include managing others, working in a team and maintaining a professional demeanour.

I love the programme that I am currently on and am so glad that I decided to opt for a higher apprenticeship route. I feel valued and respected and that makes all the difference - I enjoy coming in to work and the qualifications and experience I'm getting whilst earning are invaluable.

BAE Systems definitely invests a lot of time, money and effort into the higher apprenticeship programmes. There is a good support structure in place and the bast majority of people udnerstand the scheme and are supportive of it. Its nice to know that the company values higher apprentices enough to be considering end roles and opportunities beyond the scheme from day one. Occassionally you come acros someone who deosn't know what the scheme is but when you explain it to them they are generally very responsive.

The programme I am on has a very definite structure and a good support network. There are occassions when placement moves are not as smooth as I would like however this is inevitable really in such a large bsuiness and with so many trainees.

The college tutor who looks after the HNC/Degree side of our programme is extremely approachable and supportive. He visits us once a week during college to check if we have any problems he can help with and also visits us at work regularly to help with our college work and evidence gathering. There are very good links between work and college and a lot of feedback passess between the two to make usre we stay on track.

There are various opportunities for us to receive support from our employer, both my line manager and discipline manager are very approachable and helpful. We have monthly meetings both as a function (just nuclear trainees) and as an entire nuclear early careers community (all functions). These provide the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues that we may be facing.

The salary that we are provided with is one of the most competitive that I could find when searching for higher apprenticeship schemes. It is sufficient to cover my living costs, travel to work and spending moeny. There are also a lot of opportunities to increase your salary throughout the scheme, which are performance related.

The early careers department runs stretch assignments for higher apprentices to get involved in. You can pick and choose which of these you would like to get involved with and dedicate some of your paid work time to them. There is also funding available to set up your own projects - for example I have set up an event to encourage women to pursue careers in engineering, as this is something I feel strongly about.

Yes

The opportunities that are available are exceptional and there is plenty of opportunity for development. It is also very useful to gain both a degree (without any debt!) and relevant experience in industry as it makes you so much more employable in the future.

It's not tehcnical knowledge that helps you to stand out when you come onto a higher apprenticehip programme, as this will be taught. It's more useful to focus on skills such as management, teamwork and time-management and just be willing ot learn and try new things!