Assistant Project Manager Review

I am currently a Project Management Degree Apprentice working on a complex project within Naval Ships Combat Systems. My current role is an Assistant Project Manager. My daily tasks involve, managing the project schedule, producing reports, informing the project manager of any issues that the data produced has given rise to and working with the team to fix these. I also interact with multiple lines of business within the business due to the project I work on being cross business unit and cross functional giving me great exposure to the wider BAE systems business units. my daily tasks vary but monthly tasks stay the same. I have a set amount of deliverables to achieve in a month to meet the project need that I track against on a weekly basis, which helps me to remain focus and ensure I deliver my key responsibilities in a timely manner.

So far I have achieved a HA in Project Management, a Foundation Degree in Project Management and am now in my final year working towards a BSC Hons in Project Management, these have all been achieved through day release with a training provider which has complemented my work based learning to ensure I have a holistic view of project management both academically and practically. One of the main skills I have learnt throughout this is the ability to manage both work and uni requirements, this is something I initially found very tough as never having a proper job before this meant trying to get the correct balance was vey difficult. I feel over the past few years I have done very well in managing both and have learnt that I can be organised when I want to be to meet tight deadlines both academically and in the workplace.

Whilst the programme has had its ups and downs particularly as 5 years is a long time to be studying and working, looking back it has been an overall rewarding experience, at times not enjoyable (close to deadlines!) but I know in a years time Ill look back on this and feel very proud of my achievements. I really enjoy the work side of it and have done since day 1, the struggle for me has been the academic side particularly in the past couple of years where we have been having issues with the training provider which caused a lot of demotivation. In terms of BAE systems support though I could not of asked for better support networks and they have definitely shown that apprentices are the future of the company. The programme as a whole has exceeded my expectations.

Throughout my apprenticeship I have always felt valued from an apprentice point of view and also with the work I do in the workplace. I have heard many of stories of how senior leadership within the company started off as apprentices like me and it really motivates me to achieve my best knowing I could be there one day. I feel this culture of valuing apprentices is widely understood across the whole of BAE as its recognised that we are the future of the company. They show this in their various award ceremonies and regular comms briefings on apprentices achievements.

Being part of the first cohort of PM apprentices in the south of England has presented its teething issues over the past few years, especially with the training provider. However, despite this, I believe that lessons have been learnt over the years with regular sessions to improve quality from a BAE perspective, not so much from the training provider (see below). Overall the programme is well organised and has definitely improved in terms of structure and if the issues with the training provider are resolved I see no reason why it wouldn't be a 10.

Whilst initially the support from the training provider was consistent and to a high standard, in the past couple of years the quality has significantly decreased with different tutors and less structure and consistency which has been disappointing and had an effect on both my grades and motivation. Some points raised have not always been actioned and lessons have not always been learnt however we do now have a quality improvement plan in place with them. I wouldn't say I have enjoyed the past couple of years working with the training provider and feel the support from there end has not been to a high standard.

In contrast to the above the support from the employer had been excellent as you'd expect from a big company such as BAE Sys they have all the support mechanisms in place to make me feel valued and supported. We have an early careers team who are excellent and always willing to help with any issues you have both personally, academically and with work.

Being 23 years old and currently living at home the current salary I receive more than meets my costs allowing me to save plenty, go on nice holidays and generally be in a good place financially as I look to buy a house next year. I currently live 10 mins away from my base site so location is not a problem.

Whilst doing a degree whilst working 4 days a week doesn't present a lot of time for out of work activities there are plenty available. Having an excellent salary has allowed me to do things and go places that my friends that went to uni would never of been able to do, although sometimes is does mean the first round is on you at the pub! In terms of the company I have been on multiple conferences, attended multiple events and visited multiple other sites across the UK which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Yes

The opportunity to earn as you learn working for a global company with a whole host of opportunities and exciting projects to work on is something id recommended to anyone. Getting that valuable work experience whilst working towards a whole host of academic qualifications all whilst being paid is a no brainer for me and I have and will continue to recommend it to anyone that asks.

Don't let the application process and online tests deceive you, I never thought I'd get this apprenticeship after the online tests and coming up against people who were far more qualified than me. Be confident in yourself, do your research and try to link activities in your day to day life or experiences from college to a project management context.