Project Management Higher Apprentice Review

I'm a Project Management Higher Apprentice; my day-to-day role is incredibly varied. I can be doing anything from visiting stakeholders and engaging with customers to planning resource and schedules. I have a lot of responsibility in my role and am constantly challenged without being pushed too hard.

I came into this apprenticeship with no prior project management experience; so yes, I have developed a great range of skills. There are lots of programmes and applications that I now feel competent in using and my communication and presentation skills have developed no end.

I really enjoy it; the nature of the role is incredibly interesting to me growing up in a naval city and working for a part of the business based on a Naval base. The role itself is so varied that it's not possible to get bored - it's so much more than sitting at a desk. I get to go out and engage with people, visit other sites and learn new things every day.

As an employee of the company I definitely feel valued; I'm given a lot of responsibility by my manager and am always showed appreciation.

The training delivery aspect of the apprenticeship leaves a lot to be desired. The trainers are based halfway across the country so there is a massive disconnect between our cohorts and the college. This definitely impacts the structure of the HA programme and the delivery of course content.

Whilst they do endeavour to provide support, the distance can be limiting. There are online resources available but these aren't directly shared - you will have to find them by yourself. The training providers do try to be supportive, but as they generally can't be physically present (except the 1 day a week you spend with a tutor) it makes it difficult to build a trusting relationship.

Lots of support is provided by the employer; almost immediately on starting we were made aware of the availability of mentors and were assigned buddys from other cohorts. Whilst our managers can be very busy, they always listen to issues and make sure that support and guidance are available.

It is a reasonably good salary for an apprentice; there can potentially be some travel costs involved but these are to be expected. The benefits package is good - there is a shares incentive programme where the company will match your purchase of shares per month up to a certain amount.

There is a lot of emphasis on 'stretch' assignments as a complement to college and placement work. These are external endeavours that are voluntarily undertaken in order to 'stretch' oneself. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in educational outreach.

Yes

BAE is a very good company to work for in the sense that you are well looked after. Opportunities are readily available and the support network is there. I'd be wary of the training provider, but generally it's an excellent scheme to be involved in.

Spend some time really researching the company before your assessment centre - not just BAE Systems as a whole, but whatever business stream you're applying for (MAI/ Maritime Services/ Naval Ships). Get to know the products and customers and the company's strategy as a whole.