Business Apprentice Review

I am currently a first year Business Apprentice in the Procurement function. The team I am in at the moment is the Supplier Management & Development team. The types of tasks I do on a day-to-day basis include Supplier Intelligence packs, Business Continuity Management and some days I spare time to complete my NVQ work. As this is only my second week in this placement I am trying to learn the basics of what the team does.

I feel like I have gained more confidence, I was very shy when starting the company in September but now I feel comfortable to go and speak to new people. I feel I have developed my team working skills, I have been engaging with key stakeholders and liaising with my team to gather topical information. I have also completed lots of online training, including Intellectual Property, Health and Safety and MAI Inductions. External training that I have completed includes the MAI Procurement Awareness Course and the MAI National Stem Ambassadors Induction Course.

I have really enjoyed my first placement in the Weapons team at BAE, and I hope to enjoy my placement in SM&D. Everyone in the team has made me feel really welcomed and settled into the company. My manager, assessor and mentor are all really supportive with the choices I make and encourage me to do my best. I am really enjoying the programme so far, I have got to know the knowledge of the company and what it is about, and the work is very interesting and I always have something to be doing.

As an apprentice I feel very valued at BAE, there are lots of opportunities for the apprentices and show us different career pathways to take. My manager has involved me in campaign work and has got me involved with liaising with key stakeholders to get valuable information.

I feel that the apprenticeship programme is very well structured, the induction got us apprentices to get to know each other and complete tasks in groups. There is always support from our assessors if we have any problems or concerns, whether they are work related or personal. Our assessors always encourage us to complete different training courses and advise any that they feel will benefit us. I have regular meetings with my assessors and have 12 weekly reviews with my assessor and my manager to see how I am progressing. My assessor always makes sure that my NVQ work is up to date and is there to advise me if I need help completing it.

I receive lots of support from my assessor, they are always there if I need help with my NVQ work, problems with my placement or any personal problems I may have. They are always there to guide me in the right direction and are always encouraging me to try new things and take on new challenges.

In my first placement I received a lot of support from my manager, they helped me settle into the company and made me feel very welcomed. They were always encouraging me to try new things and take on new challenges. They were always there to help me if I didn't understand some of the work, but gave me the freedom to look for the answers myself instead of just telling me so then I understood the work. My manager has been supportive when I've had personal issues or work concerns, and has developed me. I have also had a lot of support from my mentor, they have given me advice about career pathways and has shared their experience at the company.

My salary meets my costs perfectly, I currently only have costs of my car and phone bill so I am always left with money to save and money to be able to spend.

There are lots of events that I can attend outside of the company, as I have joined STEM, I will have the chance to go and speak to schools about what I do and try to inspire them to take on an apprenticeship. I can also take part in charities, and volunteer to raise money for different charities. There are lots of company events that I can do, like information night at football clubs to promote the company and persuade people to take on an apprenticeship here at BAE.

Yes

I would recommend BAE Systems to a friend as there are plenty of career opportunities, there are lots of different parts of the company that you can be involved in. You always have the support there if needed and everyone if very supportive in your development. I feel like you can really develop people by building up their confidence skills and team working. You may also bring new ideas into the company that could be really beneficial in the future. The company is very diverse and makes everyone feel conformable and part of the company.

Remember the 3 values of the company, trusteed, innovative and bold. it is really important to have a positive attitude and show how determined and driven you are. On assessment days it isn't about who takes the lead, it's about who has a positive attitude and who doesn't give up.