Project Management Higher Apprentice Review

My apprenticeship consists of 4 month placements to allow us to move around the business, allowing us to learn a variety of competencies and work in all aspects of the business to help us become SQEP and allow us to exit in the role that we suit and enjoy. Having a placement manager who is often an executive, allows us to shadow them and see the business from an executive perspective too. I am currently in charge of arranging meetings, collating meeting packs and pushing a common goal to deliver to programme.

I have learnt many skills both personally and professionally. Personally, I am much more confident and willing to push myself out of my comfort zone to progress. Professionally, I have used this confidence to go the extra mile and use my initiative to do the job to the best of my ability. I am currently doing a degree in Project Management (whilst being paid to do it) and everything I learn at university, I can see being practically applied in my work place. BAE also offer a variety of courses, such as I Keep Submarines Safe to learn the importance of product safety. Courses and extra curriculum learning is very pushed to better every employee.

I thoroughly enjoy my programme as a higher apprenticeship and have made lots of new friends through this too. Quite a lot of higher apprentices, especially graduates, are from away, therefore BAE have gone the extra mile to welcome everyone from around the country who possibly moved up alone. Despite being from Barrow myself, I have made some great friends from Barrow and from further afield too. I am currently in my second placement but both teams I have been on have been very nice and helpful.

I feel very valued from my team on a daily basis. I was recently in a meeting about a Stretch assignment called Charity Football where we organise a tournament for all BAE employees and contractors and the money raised goes to Help For Heroes. As I was walking to the meeting I bumped into the new Project Management Director at the Barrow site, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]. I explained to him that I was a Project Management Higher Apprentice and he took 30 minutes to come to the meeting with me and talk to me and some other PM Higher Apprentices about our scheme, possible improvements and his interest in Charity Football. This encounter made me feel very valued as a Director was genuinely interested in helping us Higher Apprentices.

The programme is well structured, with our placements being every 4 months and we go around every aspect of the business. This is an amazing scheme for networking and working in all areas of the business to find which one suits you. We do a part time Project Management degree through University of Cumbria and are well supported in most placements with our studies as most placement managers recognise the importance of our studies. We also have a Project Management Skills Coach to make sure that our evidence and portfolios are perfect to ensure that we have all the competencies in order for us to exit at the end of the programme.

With our degree being delivered through University of Cumbria but at Furness College makes getting to our lectures very easy. We have 2 main tutors, as well as some supporting tutors for their specialist module. This allows us to get a quick response regarding any queries or questions we may have. I really enjoy my university course and the tutors are very helpful.

We have a placement manager, line manager (someone from Early Careers) and our discipline manager (someone from the Project Management function). We see our placement managers every day as that is who we work with so for placement problems I would go to them first. However it is nice to know that we have other managers to go to that are independent from the placement if we feel like we can't go to our placement managers about something.

Being 19 and on £1100 a month is extremely good. Especially considering we are getting a free degree to and get paid to go to university. However, I live at home so the only things I pay for is board, my phone contract and the gym. I also live in Barrow so commuting to work is easy. However, I do not know what it would be like to live on my own and run a house etc as I definitely wouldn't be able to afford that on my current wage if I lived alone.

BAE Systems, especially the Early Careers community promote lots of sports and external activities. I am currently in the rounders' team with Early Careers and ex-Early Careers. Being in Early Careers really is like a community. We were invited to the Chairman's Awards out of office time, allowing us to network with people all over the business. BAE also have deals with local gyms to get discounts and promote a healthier lifestyle.

Yes

Working for BAE Systems, in particular the Higher Apprenticeship scheme, is an amazing opportunity. It allows you to get a free degree whilst applying your knowledge in a working environment. This deepens the knowledge gained at university as you see it being used practically. Being able to move around the business in all areas allows you to network and meet people you wouldn't before, allowing you to exit in the perfect role for you. I will exit this scheme at 21 on £31k, where as my friends at university will be leaving university at 21 in £50k of debt and no working experiences.

The application process and aptitude is essential to get your foot in the door and show the interviewer you as a person. Start your application questions as soon as you can and fine tune them, ask for input off others and college tutors too. For your aptitude test, make sure you are in the right frame of mind and have already done the practise ones. Remember to read the question fully and the information as some may trick you out, also the actual aptitude is harder than the practise ones so expect it - it just involves more information. Assessment days, make sure you are prepared once again. My interview questions were around me as a person (e.g. teamwork) rather than the business, but make sure you have researched the business too. I wish I was told to be more relaxed, at the end of the day although content is a factor, they are looking at you as a person and as long as you are 100% yourself, then you will smash it.