2nd Year Enginnering Apprentice Review

My role as an apprentice is to support and work alongside a given placement within MBDA, whether this be mechanical, electrical, practical or designed based I must set out to achieve objects within the department meanwhile gaining vital skills to aid me in the future. As an apprentice I rotate departments every 3 to 6 months hence networking across many departments strengthening my knowledge and capability within the company.

At MBDA I am constantly learning new skills from each departmental I gain constant amounts of knowledge which is transferable to any parts of the business. Throughout the apprenticeship we concentrate on developing confidence as well as team building skills in a series of life skill programs

I enjoy the programme a great deal, everyday there is a new challenge to solve and you are never short for work to be getting on with. Socially the apprenticeship is amazing in meeting loads of new people all in different years of the apprenticeship.

At MBDA I do feel valued when a task is assigned to me, this gives me instant responsibility to complete the task and I am always appreciated. I am always thanked for my hard work and am never looked down upon.

The MBDA apprenticeship scheme is very well organised from started to finish. There is a clear plan as to what qualifications you will be achieving in what year as well as exact start date from particular placements. In conjunction the head of the apprenticeship scheme is really easy to contact and gives you plenty of notice for events, life skills etc.

The training provider gives us infinite amounts of support from start to finish. She is extremely easy to contact if you have any issues and is organised in every manner. No apprentice feels worried to get in contact and always try her best to make apprenticeship scheme flow as smoothly as possible.

From MBDA you also are provided with infinite amounts of support. Within the company there is a opportunities where you can go speak to someone confidentially about any problems you have giving you time to express your thoughts and feelings. In conjunction there is the buddy system within the apprenticeship scheme so each person has a point of contact from the year above if they are struggling within the scheme. Overall there is allot for support from both training provider and company

The salary at MBDA is very good there is a clear projection of what you will be earning in each years of the scheme as well as how to achieve it. Salary rises are 50% is based on college work with the other 50% being based on your in house placement reviews. In addition you are entitled to the yearly February bonus along with every other employee.

There are many opportunities outside of work for Apprentices as well as employees. First there are loads of different sport clubs for example football, shooting, rugby, hockey, yoga, golf etc. as well as the onsite gym and numerous amounts of charity events you can get involved in year after year.

Yes

I would 100% recommend the apprenticeship to someone outside of work. It has probably been one of the best decisions I have made and is far better than other options such as going to university. It is a great social environment to be in, so you are never left lonely. Also there is so much free movement around the company you are never stuck in one role and is a great long term career no matter what department.

If you were to apply for MBDA I would recommend that you stand out from the crowd. I feel it is best to gain works experiences from a variety of different engineering or business companies and start to build your portfolio early. You would need to show a real passion for engineering within the interview stage as well as demonstrate what key skills you have. I would advise to go to MBDA careers events (found on the website) to gain an understanding of what we do within the company and to see if the role is right for you. Most importantly take you time when applying and believe in yourself.