Apprentice Review

Technical engineering apprentice. Daily role is dependant on whichever department I am in and varies day to day. The structure of my apprenticeship is based around a number of different placements within the business, allowing a well rounded insight across different departments and aircraft platforms in which we as a company operate and support.

I am currently completing my HNC in engineering along side an NVQ in Engineering Technical Support. In addition to this I attend various training course for software and toolsets such as Microsoft Project, Access and Excel. Furthermore I have been trained as a STEM Ambassador and have received training allowing me to go into schools and colleges to promote STEM subjects and an engineering career pathway.

I thoroughly enjoy my apprenticeship and diverse, constantly changing environment. I am always learning and gaining confidence whilst working as part of a wider team within the company to meet work place goals and targets.

I feel I am given the opportunity to play an integral part of which ever team I am in, this makes me feel valued and the work I do appreciated.

The structure of my programme is extremely well organised and I am informed well in advance which placement I am going to next and what is going on when. Within the departments I am put in, I participate fully in department inductions and introduced to the whole team gaining information about the infrastructure of the department and the team hierarchy.

I receive reams of support from my training provider through regular check ups from my training assessor as well as a progress review every 12 weeks. The other employees within the department take time ensuring I understand what it is that I am doing and making sure I am busy doing something which is worthwhile.

My employer gives no end of support to me as an apprentice in work and also outside of work. As stated above, I have regular meetings with them to check my progress and that I am still on track with my targets and objectives set out at the beginning of the year.

My salary meets all my living costs as required in order for me to get to travel to and from work comfortably and safely as well as ensuring I am covered for the cost of living.

Outside of work there are a few opportunities to get involved in team building exercises and also a leisure club which you can use facilities available at an extremely reasonable cost.

Yes

Overall I have fully enjoyed my time at BAE Systems and I would recommend applying for a position to anyone. The company itself look after you as an employee with various health care schemes, car schemes, share schemes and many more which are over and above which they have to supply.

Start your application early and keep going back to it. Show a real passion for engineering and put that across in your application. For competency based questions always try and link the responses back to things and activities you have done previously and experiences you have gained through previous jobs or school / college.