Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice Review

I am an apprentice aircraft maintenance engineer, and I am working on the avionics systems on Typhoon fighter jets. My daily tasks usually include maintaining avionics equipment, this can range from removing and replace components to detailed fault finding within avionic systems.

I have learnt new skills that are required for my role such as increased hand co ordination skills and problem solving skills. I've built upon my current skill set when I joined the apprenticeship and I feel that my skill will keep building all the while I remain in my current career path.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the apprenticeship programme. I started the programme with strangers and I am ending it with friends. The team I work with are all very friendly and helpful and will always offer their support and aid whenever I need it. As a whole the apprenticeship has exceeded my expectations and I am highly satisfied that I made the right choice.

I do feel valued as a employee of BAE systems, if I have suggestions or improvements then I can express them and I will receive feedback to let me know if they will be acted on, which makes me feel happy to be recognised within the company.

The structure of the programme was highly organised, the induction week was very well prepared and all the training throughout the first year was excellent. All of my training has been put to good use.

In the first year support was excellent, all training staff were exceptional teachers, using their own experience of the job to provide useful insight and training for the tasks ahead of us. During the second year however I feel as though a lot of that support has been lost, I understand that the second year is down to us the apprentice's to find our own way and complete our own NVQ, and I never expected to have my hand held. However I feel as though the NVQ staff do little to support us and offer little or vague advice for our NVQ, I feel as though if I were genuinely stuck or troubled with the NVQ then I wouldn't want to turn to them. other than that I feel as though the apprentices that follow after me with have a very high calibre of training.

I receive a lot of support from my employer, I do feel as though the NVQ staff could be more supportive and offer a better idea of what the NVQ is about and how to go about completing it. I'm not saying that I want them to do the NVQ for us, I would just prefer a guided view of what to do rather than a "here you go, get on with it" attitude.

Very well, I was surprised at the starting pay, and very happily surprised to find that I could easily afford to live off what I was getting paid.

Outside of work, there seems to be plenty to do, at work there are always flyers or advertisements for out of work activities for people to take part in. When I wasn't working however I normally spent time in our apprentice rec room back at our accommodations.

Yes

I know that this is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get into engineering or maintenance, it provides everything that is needed for the budding engineer, almost everything is provided for you, you just need to put in the effort and have fun! The company is a great company to work for, they look after their workers.

I would say that their CV needs to highlight any relative experience to the job. At the assessment days they will need to be early, confident and ready for anything, although the assessment days are planned out with no surprises, it will come as a surprise if you don't get in, but don't panic or break down, simply take it as a taster of what things will be like and use as experience for your next attempt. They also need to present themselves accordingly during the interview process, smart clothing and a confident attitude, keeping in mind you are applying for an apprenticeship to LEARN, coming off arrogant as though you know everything will get you know where with the interviewer. after that everything else gets easier ( to a degree!).