Engineering Higher Apprentice Review

As an engineering higher apprentice I spent my working days in various different placements. We rotate every 4 months in order to get a good experience of the business. On Mondays I am on day release at college completing a HND and on Fridays I work with a team of apprentices on a UK wide apprenticeship challenge within my business. On placement I mainly shadow engineers in their work, and begin taking on my own tasks once I have a bit of experience.

I have gained qualifications since starting the apprenticeship that I did not have before e.g. HNC. By the time I finish I will have also gained an NVQ and a HND. I've also learnt a lot of skills from external training courses and just from experience in various environments. These have given me more awareness of the environment I work in and how to correctly and safely work here.

My program is really enjoyable. The group of apprentices I started with are all friendly and being full time in college for a year allowed us to bond well. All of the placements I have worked in so far have been enjoyable with friendly helpful people in the teams. The opportunities available in the business are much better than I expected as there are so many. I look forward to finishing my apprenticeship.

Once in placement and out of college I began to feel valued in BAE Systems. Placements really recognise the work that we can do and challenge us with our own projects. There are various awards that can be achieved to help recognise extra work that is done by individuals. There are so many opportunities to get involved in projects that allow you to carry out valuable work.

The program is very structured. When you sign up the scheme structure is outlined to you and is followed the entire way through the apprenticeship. The timeframe for the qualifications is well laid out and the rotation of placements in the business is very well organised. There is always someone you can report to if need be, and line managers make themselves available to you when need be.

Our NVQ is very well supported in my apprenticeship. Our NVQ assessor works on site and is always on hand if you need to ask a question or need an observation completed. The support for the HNC/HND is good also, the lecturers are always happy to help and support when needed.

There is a lot of support provided by the employer. Our direct manager is always available to support any issues we have when needed, as well as placement managers. We also have various mentoring schemes to be signed up for that allow you to have contact with someone to give you advice on various issues. Generally everyone I have come across in the business is happy to support where they can.

I believe the salary for my scheme to be very good. Compared to a lot of apprenticeships the scheme offers very competitive salaries, with a pay rise each year. I believe this to be very useful as apprentices begin to grow up and consider moving out. The salary allows them to do this. The scheme allows us to claim expenses on travel to courses/meetings etc. which also helps greatly.

As stated above in various boxes, the opportunities with BAE Systems are endless. There are many STEM events on-going throughout the academic year which we are encouraged to get involved with. There are also extra curricular activities such as engineering challenges that we can get involved in. One of the big opportunities I have been involved in is an internal apprenticeship council. This allows schemes from across the UK to meet and discuss best practices and issues with each other which can then be taken up to HR level. It is a good networking opportunity.

Yes

The scheme is very well structured with an outcome of a good job and good qualifications. The experiences and opportunities that you can get out of the apprenticeship are second to none. The job is fun as well, you're always out and about investigated as opposed to being at a desk all day every day.

Do your research before you apply. Make sure you know exactly what you're applying for and what the business does. The assessment days are hard but they give you some valuable experience and allow you to prove yourself. As long as you are prepared and confident your potential will show.