Apprentice Technician Review

My job title within Leonardo is Apprentice Technician. This involves a variety of tasks such as, test engineering, design engineering, fault diagnosis and admin.

Throughout my apprenticeship I have learned many new skills and also developed existing skills. Many new skills had to be learned to be able to use and work on the technology which is a part of my everyday job. Developing existing skills has also been key to becoming a useful employee of Leonardo.

I enjoy the work I do at Leonardo. The engineering side is very enjoyable. There are less enjoyable admin tasks which you need to do sometimes. The company culture is very good and flexible working hours is a big benefit.

I feel valued by Leonardo due to the fact that they invest time and money into helping me to become an engineer. Many engineers within Leonardo started off as apprentices in the company so they understand how important the apprenticeship programme is to the future of the company.

I feel our programme is very well structured. We rotate round the placements for the first two and a half years. This allows you to get a broad perspective of what the company does and how each department fits into that scheme. You then go into final placement which gives you time to build up department specific skills which will help you ease into the department once the apprenticeship is finished.

Our training provider gives plenty of support for completing both our SVQ level three and the college qualification. Both of these are held in high regards by both the employer and the college.

Our employer provides more than enough time and support to help us progress towards being a useful member of the company. This is through both formal and informal training.

The salary I receive comfortably meets my living/travelling costs. The salary also allows me to save up and do things on weekends. However more money is always welcome.

Outside of work there are department nights out and apprentice nights out. There are also charity events such as pub quizzes and fun runs. There are also groups like golf societies and 5 a side football groups. You also receive a free gym membership.

Yes

In my opinion it is a very good route into engineering. I feel it gives you a better mind-set for working than you would gain from going to university or college full time.

The application process is very competitive so it will take time and effort if you want to be successful. The interview also requires some preparation.