Higher Apprentice Review

Higher Apprentice - EfS Defence Services. I rotate through the different departments and gain an understanding of how support is provided to the customer. Currently I am working in Service Engineering which covers safety issues such as mitigating fleet risks as they arise, lifing assessments and notices to operators suggesting best practice. I am involved with a number of different projects which is interesting and makes the day varied.

Absolutely - everything from project management to technical knowledge of the product. Through the apprenticeship I also gain a foundation degree which is external training provided through a college.

I enjoy working with the different departments and enjoy the style of work presented to me in my placements. It is different from my expectations but not in a bad way.

Some departments do a great job of supporting my work and making sure that I feel valued. Especially as my apprenticeship has progressed and I am able to be more useful to the teams that I work with.

Placements are organised well. However external training is poorly organised, and meeting time with my Apprentice Development Leader is too far apart (in my opinion). I find it difficult to find out answers regarding requirements of the apprenticeship.

Very little from the external college. There seems to be very little planning, always a previously unidentified requirement of the course. Some teachers do not seem up to standards in comparison to the others.

In general a very high level in terms of placement objectives and learning. However for things such as NVQ or other apprenticeship requirements the communication is not quite where it needs to be.

Living in Bristol is expensive, so it is difficult in terms of living costs. However I do think that the pay increases throughout the apprenticeship based on performance work well.

In terms of company events it is mainly the annual Charity Ball. There is a an apprentice association but it is not as active as it could be. Lots of local gyms etc so lots of things to do if you are looking for things to do. Plenty of places like the national trust to visit locally.

Yes

Although there have been some difficulties I have very much enjoyed it. People within the company are generally friendly and happy to help apprentices - lots of them started with apprenticeships which I think helps.

Get involved with things that you will be able to talk about in your interview. Clubs, engineering projects/courses etc. Work experience will give you an idea of the working environment.