Assembly Apprentice Review

I am an Assembly Apprentice at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, currently coming to the end of my second year. My daily tasks can include anything that contributes to building a rolls-royce motor car. This includes the time i have spent assembling a car at various stations on the production line, helping to keep the assembly floor and its equipment organised, even some behind the scenes time / work organisation skills, sometimes i have been working alongside teams that integrate new cars or systems to the assembly line. The factory is very social, and although being large it often doesn't seem the case particularly when interacting with others.

I have learnt alot about how modern manufacturing and how the organisation plays a big part in the products that we produce. From a learning perspective i have learnt alot from the various courses we have completed at college, skills that i otherwise would not have gained knowledge about. I feel that i have developed further on a personal level too especially the way i interact with others.

I enjoy the current structure with its balance of study and work side by side, it definitely has been a change from my previous career path. The company is definitely one to be proud of working for.

In some instances it does feel that we are slightly undervalued for the work that we carry out within the business, however we are given a sense of flexibility that is not applied to others.

The organisation is not the best, however it has come a long way since we started, this could be down to the fact that we were the first intake to undergo our particular programme. Communication / meetings could be improved.

Not a great deal, it sometimes feels like self supported study / work. I don't see this as a negative thing though, as it encourages self sufficiency.

The support is definitely there should it be requested across various aspects of the business. How long the assistance takes is debatable as some requests can often go unprocessed.

It is a great salary if you are of a younger age perhaps a school leaver. However as it is a flat rate depending on the year of study you are currently in and is the same for all. This is slightly frustrating seeing as i am older than most, perhaps flexibility for age or quality of work / progress should be considered. It is slightly gutting about how many bonus payments other employees receive in addition to their great salary, as we do not qualify for any bonus payments being apprentices.

I spend some of my time outside of work completing assignment work assigned from college. There have been a few opportunities for us to attend publicised events for example school visits, however my participation seems limited as i do not have a trade or skill like some of the other apprentices within the business.

Yes

It does offer great opportunity for progression. The fact that you can study along side work is ideal for the school or college leaver. Once a permanent employee the benefits are great.

Just do it, the company always has a large intake of apprentices each year. They are very pro apprenticeships, even if you do not succeed in the application process is very insightful, a tour of the factory forms part of the interview which i found very interesting. As a new starter you will be a part of a team building exercise away from home along with all other apprentices starting within BMW Group Uk.