Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Review

As an EDAS (Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Scheme) apprentice, I will experience 6 5-month long placements within BAE Systems. These will allow me to experience a wide range of roles within different disciplines around the business. My daily tasks will vary in each, but I spend roughly half of my day working with experienced engineers on the aircraft rigs and gaining practical skills and experience; and the other half of my day working towards my Level 4 NVQ and Aerospace Engineering Degree.

In our first 6 months we completed a Level 2 NVQ in Engineering which has developed our practical skills on a wide range of workshop machinery including pillar drills, turning lathes and hand tooling equipment. We also completed an Outward Bound course at Eskdale, in the Lake District, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to develop our teamwork, communication and leadership in a wide range of engineering and problem-solving related tasks; alongside climbing the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, which was a great opportunity for us to form a bond!

The work that happens within the company is extremely interesting and I often find myself fascinated by the technology that surrounds me, but sometimes due to my current lack of experience I am unable to take part as much as I would like in the more interesting areas of the job. We have a fantastic bond as a team and the culture within the company is welcoming and laid-back, whilst also maintaining a solid work ethic and upholding the company's reputation. I am enjoying the programme so far and look forward to experiencing the rest of my placements.

I feel like my presence within the company is definitely appreciated, and that management has a serious interest in developing our skills and helping us to become experienced engineers. However, sometimes in my current placement I am unable to help as much as I would like due to there not being many spare jobs that I can complete at my current skill level.

The beginning of the programme, including induction week, completion of the Level 2 NVQ and the entry into the first placement, is a very well-organised and streamlined process. However, once in the first placement, it can be difficult to get a hold of some managers when requiring information about the apprenticeship. It is also as of yet undecided what the pay proposal will be for the scheme.

The staff at college are always available to help with any queries and are fast to reply to e-mails, being incredibly accessible and informative as and when needed. The smaller-class lectures provide a more communicative and collaborative environment, although it is sometimes felt that certain key concepts are not explored as well as they may be in a university lecture environment.

Whilst BAE Systems is generally a supportive environment for all of its employees, as mentioned previously it can be difficult to get into contact with some managers. The HR Team are very helpful with any queries, however, and any urgent issues are also addressed and solved very quickly. Support for any problem can almost always be found somewhere if you know where to look.

The salary is promising for employees of our age, and comes with the promise of regular pay adjustments as part of the EDAS pay proposal (which has not yet been organised). As the degree is also sponsored by BAE, this will leave us in no financial debt at the end of the apprenticeship, putting us in an excellent position to further develop our careers without the shackles of debt. However, no assistance is offered in seeking accommodation when moving towards BAE Systems, which would have been welcomed as it was difficult to handle finances before receiving the first paycheck (2 months after joining). We also frequently have to make the journey to and from Blackpool which is over an hour long, and we are left to organise this ourselves - using either the train, car sharing or funding our own cars. No travel expenses are offered for the fuel costs of the long journey.

There are many activities and sports to take part in if you live around the Preston area. Within BAE Systems, there are very few events and activities however, but this doesn't impact me too much since we generally organise our own activities/hobbies outside of work and I never feel like there's nothing to do.

Yes

BAE Systems is an excellent place to work, and offers a fair financial package for an employee who is still completing their degree, whilst also offering a flexible working schedule too. The apprenticeship offers a great opportunity to create working relationships with others and synergise to combine your experience in different areas.

Try your best to be communicative and open-minded during the interview process, and ensure that you are prepared for a teamwork-focused group activity. Do your best to not only put forward your own ideas and complete calculations/deductions, but also to listen closely to others and build upon their suggestions. Maintain eye contact during conversations and speak slowly and clearly.