Mechanical Design Apprentice Review

As an apprentice Mechanical Designer, my role is to complete tasks given by the Project Leaders, Assistant Project Leaders or even just a point of contact from whatever placement we are on (e.g HVAC, Integration, Standards etc.) These tasks could be things such as output drawings, TeamCenter work, work in the model, documentation, etc. These tasks improve several skills, such as our communication skills if we have to contact someone about the job, allows us to be more proactive and independent as we have to sometimes think for ourselves, responsibility skills as we are trusted with a specific job etc. Furthermore, I do one day per week at college learning subjects such as: further maths, fluid mechanics, mechanical principles, etc. to progress my knowledge further.

I have had several training courses which have enabled me to learn how to use the computer systems such as CADDS5 and Foran. Furthermore, we have took part in extra-curricular activities such as Outward Bound and a beach clean, which have developed my teamwork and communication skills. In addition to this, I have also gained some qualifications through college. These were my PEO and NC, however I am now currently working on my NVQ and ND. By the end of my apprenticeship I hope to achieve my HNC in Mechanical Engineering.

I really enjoy how varied the programme is. In our first year of college, we spent time in the classroom learning different subjects but we also spent time in the three workshops which allowed us to be more hands-on and mixed things up a bit which was enjoyable. Another aspect of the programme I like is that we do placements on different teams to see what things we like and what things we dislike, which also helps to make our decision of where we want to be upon time completion. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Standards team which was my first placement, as everyone was so welcoming and helpful.

Occasionally, I can sometimes feel undervalued as sometimes apprentices just get the jobs that no one wants to do. However, we do get a lot of recognition for our efforts, such as the 'Apprentice of the Month' scheme. This shows people that they are doing well and continues to encourage apprentices to stay motivated within their placements and do well.

I think our programme is structured really well, we receive all of the necessary training that we need in order to carry out our jobs to our full ability. We have 3-monthly reviews that enable us to see where we are doing well and what things we need to improve upon, as that is where we receive feedback from our placements.

We receive a really good amount of support from our training provider. If we need any support then we can simply contact them and it will be arranged, and any problems we may have can be solved. On each training course we receive a booklet that is a guide on the course in case we ever need to refer back to it which is really handy.

I feel I receive a good amount of support from my employer. As mentioned earlier, the early careers team give us reviews to keep track of our update and also support our NVQ. We are able to contact them via email, phone, or going to seem them onsite. Guidance with problems is also given as and when needed.

My salary allows me to live comfortably, by helping me run a car, pay insurance, pay board and other bills etc. There is also some spare every month to save/treat myself with. I am able to have a good social life and go on holidays. It also goes up when I come out of my time which will be a good wage to start thinking about buying a house.

There aren't really any company opportunities outside of work. However, there are things that the company get discounts for, such as some of the gyms in the local area, which is one thing to do. It would be nice to have some more opportunities that we can get involved in.

Yes

I believe BAE Systems is a good company to work for, this is because they have good values that everyone within the company is encouraged to follow, it is a fair and equal workplace, the pay is good and the company has a good support system. Also, us apprentices get put through our qualifications for free, which is brilliant.

Personally, when applying for my apprenticeship, I looked at the questions on the online application and wrote them down in a word document. I drafted out my answer on there to all questions so that I could ensure I have wrote everything I wanted to include in my answers and also so I could make sure there were no spelling or grammar errors. Also, I would recommend researching the role you are applying for and the company itself so that you can be completely clear on your answers whilst in the interview.