Technical Apprentice Review

I am employed as a Technical Apprentice and am currently in my second year of 4 years total. On a day-to-day basis, I work at our factory 4 days per week completing whatever work I have been assigned for that particular placement. One day a week I attend Warwickshire College where I am studying an HNC in manufacturing engineering, with the goal of studying HND and a degree after that. I have been involved in numerous work-based projects and will continue to be throughout my career hopefully.

Without trying to be cliche, every day that I work here I learn something new. Thanks to this apprenticeship, I am able to use control systems for CNC machines and am able to effectively use a number of CAD software. I am able to use tooling and have gained practical skills that I use almost every day. This apprenticeship has also helped me develop as a mature person, by allowing me to earn enough money to save for a house for example.

I enjoy working as part of a team, so it is good for me that we hold monthly apprentice meetings where you can air any issues you may have with anything to do with your apprenticeship. There is real sense of coalition among all years. I thoroughly enjoy my program because I am gaining strong and recognized qualifications, making a name for myself within a company I hope to work for, and being paid very well at the same time. Some people cannot stand company culture but I have always wanted to be part of a big company so this apprenticeship was perfect for me.

My manager has always kept me up-to-date on what I need to do to achieve my personal learning goals, and as a result of this I have always felt appreciated by the company. You never feel left out of anything and as long as you show an interest to learn, people here will go out of their way to ensure you enjoy your time as an apprentice. Recognition for achievements can come in many forms like service achievement awards and a yearly performance bonus. This is good example because the performance bonus is given to apprentices as well, which does make you feel appreciated.

The learning program that I am currently on is remarkably well managed and caters to your every need. You study specifically for the type of apprenticeship you are based on and work with tutors and lecturers with years of experience that are keen to help you along the way. All the way through your apprenticeship you will have a work-based learning manager, whom will ensure that you are being well looked after and are safe at work and college. The scheme is very well organised and I would highly recommend it to anyone with an avid interest in engineering.

The training provider in my case was Warwickshire College. They have excellent facilities for you to learn and a support network of staff that is very reliable. As previously stated you are assigned a work-based learning manager and they will look after you throughout your apprenticeship. If you struggle with anything you can see them or one of your tutors and they will work through issues with you. None of which is done in a patronizing way, which is important for those coming straight from school as it makes you feel more like an adult.

My manager had previously done the same apprenticeship as me some years prior, and so they were able to address every question I had with a good answer, and if I had required further help they would have helped gladly. HR are friendly and always ready to help as much as they can with whatever you need. No one at work or in college has a 'can't be bothered' attitude when it comes to helping you because it is their job to make sure you succeed to the best of your ability, and they are all very good at that job.

Your starting salary for this position is around £11,000, which I think is brilliant considering for the first full year all you do is attend college. It then rises by around £5000 every year until you are out of time and begin on a different pay code. My salary at the moment covers my cost of living with ease, however I do not currently have a large number of outgoings, with the most being savings and transport. Working here enables you to live very comfortably in my opinion and the money helps you learn how to save for important things in life like your first house.

On the first year of the apprenticeship you will go on a 1 week company retreat to somewhere different each year (it was the peak district for my year). Here you complete team building activities and apart from the potential cold it is really enjoyable. You are often asked to attend open evening where you will represent the company at college's or careers fairs, which is a good opportunity to make a name for yourself if you are looking to become apprentice of the year. Every employee must complete at least 4 hours of community work per year, which is not bad at all. For mine i had to spend the day cleaning out a stream with a team of others. There are many sporting and social clubs within the company that are very easy to get involved in.

Yes

I would recommend Cummins to a friend because an apprenticeship with the company can pave the way to a bright future for yourself. It can enable you to become a successful engineer, potentially leading to incorporated or chartered engineer status depending upon how far you are willing to take it. Leaving accounting an pursuing engineering was the best decision of my life, because now I work for a globally recognized brand, earn good money and am on my way to becoming a fully qualified engineer.

I would advise any potential candidates to just be themselves, don't try to be anything other that that because the interviewers will see straight through it. If you pass the interview you will be invited to a group assessment day, and should you pass that you will be contacted letting you know. You will then be given a date for a medical exam. After this you will be introduced to the health and safety of the plant and given another plant tour. You will then be taken to your department heads and assigned departments to work in until you begin college in September. Before your interview ensure you have a reasonable knowledge of engineering components, as this will be tested throughout your application process.