Business Apprentice Review

On a day-to-day basis my role at Leonardo can vary vastly. I spend a lot of time shadowing my mentors and learning first hand what it is that they do. This then allows them to delegate some tasks to me allowing me to take responsibility for my work.

I have gained a fantastic amount of skill here at Leonardo. I am doing an SVQ level 3 and an HNC in Business at college so this will give me great qualifications for the future. I have also learned a lot about communication and conducting yourself professionally in such a large firm. I have learned a lot about product information and have found this experience invaluable.

I really enjoy the programme I am on. I like how we are given real work as part of the business demand and not just typical 'apprentice work'. The whole company has a great feel and promote team work. The programme exceeded my initial expectations and I would recommend it to anyone.

I feel very valued in Leonardo as the company see us as the future. The company is not particularly degree driven which gives the apprentice a chance and helps people not to see us as second to graduates. If you put in the work, you will be treated accordingly. We also get recognition for helping with and running different events.

The programme is very well structured as it is run every year. There is a calendar for training set out for the year so we know what we are involved in and our placements move in a very structured way, which is set out early on so we know what to expect. We have mentors for support who can help us with anything from our work on site to out college or SVQ work.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider. I meet with her every couple of weeks where she assesses the work I have done and sets me new tasks and objectives. I can get in contact with her at any time via email which is very useful should I come across any problems. She has a great attitude towards us and always spurs us on to do better.

I also receive a lot of support from my employer. Our management team keep close to us, always making sure we are getting on okay and not having any problems. Should any problems arise they are always on hand to help sort them out. They are also great to approach for advise.

As someone who lives on their own, it is not yet sufficient, however I do think I am paid very well for a first year apprentice. The wage structure is fantastic and we see some great rises before leaving the programme.

They are a lot of opportunities to help the company out side of work. I have attended recruitment fairs to promote the company and have also gone into my old school to do the same. The company also has unofficial sports teams for football, golf and running which all help the employees work ethic. Different departments also regularly have social events to allow everyone to get to know each other a bit better.

Yes

Because it is such a great scheme which has served me well so far. It was a fantastic alternative to university and with the way the country is changing to promote apprenticeship I think is it a really good thing. The work we get here is also well above what you would expect to be given to an apprentice and they trust us which gives us a good feel and encourages us to progress.

Ultimately you have to be yourself and want the job. As it is such a great scheme it can be quite competitive but if you show how much you want it and what your are willing to put in they will give you the best chance. It is important to be sociable and interact with everyone pleasantly as, how you can work with everyone is very important to the management team and the company as a whole.