Technical Apprentice Review

I work with other teams members in my department to achieve a common goal. I also attend meetings for this work or on other extra activities, such as charity work or working with schools.

As we swap round departments every 3 months, we learn new skills in each department, using different software or hardware. As you meet new people all the time it improves social skills and confidence.

I enjoy my programme, I enjoy coming into work everyday to find out what challenge I will be given to complete that day. We also attend college once a week to improve our engineering knowledge and practical skills.

I will we are valued a lot by Leonardo, they have created new facilities and spaces just for apprentices, and the apprentices are given real jobs to do, I haven't made tea and coffee for anyone yet...!

It got off to a bit of a rocky start, as we are at college full time for the first 9 months of the apprenticeship, and the process of finding new apprentices places in each department. But overall once you get past the first few months it is all organised. But the college does lack organisation and structure sometimes.

Our college tries to support us, but due to their lack of organisation it does tend to fall apart sometimes. Several times our work has been lost by the college, but it is sorted out so we get the grades we deserve in the end.

We have the opportunity for having a mentor, we have 12 week reviews in which we discuss how our placements are going and how we are doing, including lots more, there is plenty of support.

Our salary is very good considering our starting knowledge, our salary increases every year, adapting to our knowledge levels. I can manage very well off of our salary, but sometimes we have placements outside of work, which includes travelling far. We claim expenses back on this, but only after the 3 months, so for those 3 months it can get a bit tight depending where you live in relation.

As I am the apprentice charity rep, I get the chance to organise events for the apprentices to raise money for charity, or to just organise a social trip.

Yes

You gain a lot of work experience, you are doing real jobs, there are opportunities to expand all of your skills, not just engineering skills, the pay is very good.

show a keen interest in engineering, electronics, complete small projects at home to do with engineering that you can showcase to interviewers.