Technical Apprentice Review

In my apprenticeship it would depend what department I was in that would determine the job I was doing that day. On a weekly basis I would ensure my log book was up-to-date (this has details of jobs I have completed in my current placement) and this would count towards my NVQ. Some jobs included updating reports, checking drawings on our database and also reviewing documents.

During my time at BAE I have definitely grown more confident within myself and in the business as I was quite shy to begin with when I first started. I have developed different kinds of engineering skills through working with different departments and also on my first full year at college doing metal work and CAD drawings on the computers there. I have learnt how to best talk to customers and managers higher up within the business too.

I really enjoyed my programme whilst working here. I am coming out of my time in a few months to hopefully get a full-time contracted job on site here at Brough. I have met some really interesting and friendly people in each department I have worked in and my college work was quite fun in the first year when we learnt the basic engineering skills. The last few years of college have been harder but we expected this.

I feel very valued by BAE Systems. I have never felt not part of a team or part of the company. I have meetings occasionally with my supervisors and apprentice supervisor to monitor my progress in my apprenticeship. Apart from these we sometimes have more casual chats to see how I am getting on and what I’ve been getting up too. BAE have invested a lot in my development so I definitely feel valued by them.

All my placements in each year I have been in during my apprenticeship have been thoroughly thought out and planned by my apprentice leader. If we have any problems with work we are given then we are always encouraged to ask for help or more work by our supervisors or any employees we are currently working with in that department.

My first 2 years at college didn’t go very well in terms of getting feedback and assignments handed back to us as it took our tutors quite a while and our first year ended up being over-run as our tutors could not keep up with the work given to them. The certificates we got from the college needed to be scanned and kept on record for the company however these were late also from the college too. After the second year the company took action though and we were moved to a different college where we have one-to-one meetings now and then and the work input and output is much more efficient.

I have always received a lot of support from all the staff I have worked with, all my supervisors and my apprenticeship supervisor also. I am always asked if I need help with my work or if my work is sufficient enough. Some departments do not give apprentices as much work or time as they should however it is also up to the apprentice to ask for the work and ensure any work they were given is handed in.

We started on a mediocre salary however comparing it to other apprenticeship wages we were fairly lucky and on that comparison we had a fairly decent pay. After working my way through the apprenticeship and completing yearly NVQ and college targets I have had yearly increases in my pay and I am currently on more than minimum wage for a full time job so I am very happy and begin saving for a house.

I am currently in the STEM ambassador scheme at work which means that myself and other apprentices will go to school events, such as ones at the KC stadium or ones held in various schools in the local area to show what engineering is like and to try inspire younger kids into thinking about a future in engineering. Apart from this we participate in events on our site at BAE and help out when we can. We usually get emails asking for help with events.

Yes

I would definitely recommend the company and the apprentice scheme to someone of a similar age or perhaps about to come out of school. Nowadays it’s university which is pushed onto people in 6th forms at school, like it was me and unless I had BAE Systems mentioned to me by my dad and seen a local notice in a paper then I probably would have just applied to university. I think that being able to start working and getting a salary as well as carrying on my education is really worth it and the company treat you well.

When applying online ensure that you sell yourself in your application form without being too pushy. If there has been any charity work or community events you have taken part in recently, mention these and the company love to hear about people giving back. Give yourself plenty of time to fill in the form and also practice a few math questions before completing the online aptitude test. If you get an interview, practice your interviewing skills and ensure you know about the company and products too.