maintenance technician Review

i am a maintenance technician apprentice. My day to day role is to shadow technicians and help run the lines. this involves going to breakdowns and rectifying faults. i am in my second year so i go to college once a week to study. when working in a machine you are responsible for your own safety, you have locks which you lock the robot enclosures open with so you can go in and no one can start the machine when you are in there. you are also responsible for timekeeping and letting the relevant people know when you are ill/ need time off.

I have gained a massive amount of electrical, programming and mechanical skill. I think I have gained a whole new level of understanding about the technicians role and, with the placements around the factory being so diverse, I have gained a lot of knowledge about the rest of the jobs out there and who to talk to if I have a problem

the day-to-day work is very enjoyable, you wont come in and do the same thing each day; each day is different. the people there are nothing but friendly and will always help you with whatever it is you need.

I feel that the internal recognition with regards to work is not as good as it could be. I have had previous jobs where I have completed them well within the time frame and to the standard asked or gone out of my way to help people and it gets taken for granted. As an apprentice it seems like you have to do these jobs. when on the line, sometimes you are on a breakdown and you cannot physically help because nobody involves you and you have to pick up what everyone was saying after the job is finished.

the structure is very good. the training is okay but the support, when asking, is more than acceptable. time to study however is sometime too little and most of the work will be done in your spare time when it comes to assignment, but it is expected anyway. in my experience, my mentor was probably a bad person to have as they are very busy all of the time. our program with regards to the placement rota, is very good. you have a chance to go to all of the relevant placements and get to see what all of the parts actually do and how they interact with you job role.

the support we get from college is sometimes more than exceptional. if we have a problem and need some one-to-one time with the lecturer, all you need to do is ask then everything will be put in place to ensure you can understand what you didn't and hopefully pass the unit.

we have a monthly meeting where we can discuss the months work and have the chance to express our views on everything about college. it is a time to reflect on what has happened and how we can solve/ prevent any possible problems.

the salary is more than what other employers pay and can definitely cover living costs. i do not live too far away so driving even with a company car is easily paid for.

i feel as apprentices, we have limited access to opportunities outside of work at the moment such as football teams or activities like this. we have an ample amount of careers fairs that we attend on behalf of BMW Group to promote the apprenticeship. also we do not go on any courses at the moment that could benefit our learning in the factory environment.

Yes

if you are a technical person or enjoys a challenge then this is for you. i felt that the academic route wasn't for me but to go down the route where i had the opportunity to be paid to get a guaranteed job at the end of it was what sealed the deal. if you like mechanical and electrical work then this is certainly the way to go as it is what you do on a day-to-day basis.

be yourself and enjoy every last bit of it, even the assessment days are a fond memory of mine. but if you don't get through the first time, apply for the next years intake!