Assistant Design Engineer - Technician Apprentice Review

The apprenticeship entails various different working roles throughout the company, experiencing multiple different roles within the company. Each day can entail something different from design management to hands on fixing engine systems.

Throughout the 4 years I have learnt many new skills and developed new skills. This included personal development by gaining new qualifications and attending internal courses such and health and safety, and office management skills.

I have enjoyed going through the BAE apprenticeship program, as it has allowed me to grow as a person and develop my professional career.

Because BAE is such a large company, it can be easy to not feel valued. However in all the placement roles I have undertaken, each have include me and giving me many jobs and task to company giving me a sense of value within each team.

The apprentice structure when I first started was not the best thought out, and half way through was actually re-designed to better suit new apprentices coming through. Although this is great for future apprentices, it did leave our year out in the cold somewhat.

Following the comment of the structure above, the initial support in the Apprenticeship was rather poor, but this has changed through the years and now I do experience full support.

Each of my roles throughout the Apprenticeship, I have always experienced supports from acting managers within the company. Support through working tasks and through personal development such as gaining new qualifications.

In the final year, the salary is on par with my living costs. However in previous years I have struggled. The apprenticeship salary has now increased for younger years but they have not given our year any sort of compensations for the minimal wages, this includes loosing out on over £10,000 wage difference throughout the years.

Yes, we are constantly invited to attend company events working with both local schools and the local community. This does entail opportunities both in the local area and within other BAE sites around the country.

Yes

Although some problems have arisen through my years in the Apprenticeship scheme, it seems that they have now restructured and sort many of these issues out. Making it a top Apprenticeship.

Don't sit down in each role, get up and ask for work, ask if there is anything you could do. More often than not, acting managers will be waiting for you to ask for work... Not the other way round.