Higher Apprentice Review

I am a Higher Engineer Apprentice, everyday is different due to doing monthly placements in different departments. But on a day-to-day basis it consists of emails, meetings with internal people and also sometime live meetings with other people around the country, productive work on a project and also working on a NVQ qualification.

Yes. I have gained a HNC qualification and currently completing a HND both in electrical and electronic engineering. I am also doing Level 4 NVQ in Manufacturing engineering. I do alot of internal training courses to learn about the business products, health and safety and information i need to know for the job. I have also completed external training courses such as PTS to allow myself to go on to the railway. I have learnt personal skills such as time keeping, team work, networking ect. But also a lot of knowledge through the training.

I really enjoy it, i like that everyday is different and i don't do the same thing everyday. The staff are really friendly and helpful. The company culture is very good and allows to meet new people.

I do feel valued at Siemens as they give me responsibility on projects and you get recognition for hard work internal by champions awards and also every year there are award ceremonies for higher apprentice of the year etc.

I think it is good, we get very good training inside and outside of the business. We are given time at work to study for our NVQ but college work needs to be done outside of work. I get plenty of support from my manager, other apprentices and employees but also staff at college. I have a mentor who i meet up with every month to discuss any issues, what i'm currently working on.

I get plenty of support from my training provider, with 1-2-1's with my manager, 3 month reviews by our Siemens verifier, learner forms that if we have problems we can discuss. If there is a problem it is easily solved if I tell my manager.

My manager is great, easy to talk to and if there are any problems he helps out with solving the problem. I also have a mentor who i see every month for a meeting but i can also see him whenever i have problem in the meant time.

I would say my outgoing costs are relative to what i can afford, i do spend alot of money on petrol to get to work as i live about 30-40mins away from the office but i'm very careful with my money to be able to live without getting in money trouble. But my salary is good.

Yes, i've joined STEM ambassadors so i can volunteer in schools and fairs. There aren't many company events/ activities but as a team we do sometimes going out for social drinks on a friday night. There is a gym in the town where you can discount for working with siemens. But alot of what i do isn't through work. I like to travel and go out eating/exploring.

Yes

Because its a great company to start a career with. They support you in always achieving more and if you want to continue with education they will help with that. You can learn alot from the business but also the people who you work with that can help you in your future.

Be yourself. You don't have to know everything before you join, you learn on the job and as you go through your apprenticeship. Not only do you have to have the interest in engineering and how things work, but you also have to have social skills and be able to work with people and enjoy working with others. It may be scary at first but it soon becomes the normal way of life and everyone is so friendly that if you're not sure, just ask.