Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

My role as an Engineeering Degree Apprentice includes a full time work placement alongside a degree course in which I attend university once a week. As a degree apprentice i am given 6, five month placements that cover a range of different disciplines and job roles. Whilst working within the company and getting a good understanding of what real working life is like I attend university once a week and study a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

In terms of qualifications, the apprenticship has given me the oppurtunity to get my NVQ level 2 and level 4 and also an Aerospace Engineering BEng degree. there are also countless internal training courses on offer that cover a wide range of topics such as health and safety, software packages and efficient processes in the workplace. Since joining the apprenticeship my confidence as a whole has grown enormously and I feel that since I started my apprenticeship I have matured and grown a lot.

As a whole I thoroughly enjoy my apprenticeship and have found that the experience has been second to none. The work placements that are given are interesting and engaging and the teams that i have worked with have been extermely supportive and friendly. There is very little that I feel I would want to change about the programme even if at times it can be difficult balancing a degree with full time work.

I am constantly reminded how important and the rest of the Apprentices on my course are valued. On a regular basis I am told how important we as apprentices will prove to be in the long run to the company. In terms of the work thart I do, I have never once been given a job to do that is just something to do. it is all value added work.

From the very start, my apprenticeship has been extremely well thought out and a lot of thought and consideration has gone into the preparation of my apprenticeship. I am constantly given any sort of support that I may need and feel throughly well looked after within the scheme. the Early Careers Team that look after the apprenticship are extremely helpful and supportive and I would feel confident in approaching any one of them about any sort of situation.

I feel like the support i am given by the company and the Early Careers Team who organise the scheme is a perfect balance. Whenever i need any sort of support it is there instantly but they understand that our own space is important to so it is never too much. they are always happy to help in any sort of scenario.

The same can be said about support from my Employer. From the HR team to the team within my office everybody is more than happy to help and has a very positive attitude towards supporting apprentices. This is something that is extremely important and gives a real sense of security within the workplace.

My salary more than covers the cost of my living, travel and social costs and is a real positive about the scheme. The location is also ideal and is no more than an hours drive to work.

There are endless oppurtunities outside of work whether it be a company event or a voluntary initiative. There are a number of airshows around the country that BAE Systems are involved with and a few of my colleagues were able to attend one of these events. As well as this there is the opportunity to go into schools and colleges and talk to students about the various oppurtunities that BAE Systems has to offer. There is also the possibility of visiting the different RAF bases around the UK and Offshore customers that are located around the world such as the United States.

Yes

Joining the Engineering Degree Apprenticship at BAE Systems was the best possible carrer choice that i could have ever made. It suits my needs perfectly and gives me a platform to be able to undertake a lifelong career in Aerospace Engineering. I would recommend the apprenticship to anyone who is interested in any aspect of engineering.

When applying for the Degree Apprenticeship the best tip that I could give is to put in 110% with every step of the application process. Giving answers that stand out and make you seem eager are noticed and will give you a much better chance of getting the role. While the interview process was challenging it was an experience I will never forget and I know that if I hadnt put everything I had into the day I wouldnt be in the role that I am in now.