Engineering Higher Apprentice Review

My day to day role depends on which placement I am in at the time, as we rotate placements around the business every four months. My current placement involves mostly data analysis and report writing, but my first placement involved planning for and conducting supplier audits, internal audits, preparing for the companies audit from LRQA for renewal of the ISO 9001 standard, and writing quality reports.

I have learnt lots of skills since starting my apprenticeship. I have done a course on report writing which I have found useful in my current placement, and I also did an internal auditor course which I really enjoyed and transferred some of the skills to supplier audits which I helped to conduct.

I am enjoying my programme a great deal so far. The first year of full time college was fun as I enjoy a learning environment and learning new things. I have only done two placements in the business so far but both have been enjoyable, and different to each other to offer good variety.

I feel valued by BAE Systems. The apprentices are just treated as part of the team in my experience so far, everyone has been happy to help when needed. We are privy to the same information as anyone else in the company, and in my current placement I work in an environment where I have to access controlled information which makes me feel trusted by the company.

The programme is generally well organised, but there have been some issues in the first two years. This was down to our manager getting a new job and us having no proper manager for a little bit in the first year, and then our new manager being on maternity leave since October. Our NVQ assessor has stepped in as interim manager in both situations and has done a pretty good job but it hasn’t been as smooth as it could have been, but through no ones fault.

The training provider/college offer good support. I haven’t really had any issues to speak but the level of training has been high in my opinion and I have enjoyed it. I like learning new things, and have particularly enjoyed the electrical and electronics subjects this year. I feel I could approach the lecturers and staff if I did have a problem.

As with my training provider, I haven’t had any issues that I have had to take to my employer, but I feel I would be able to do so if needed. We have an annual medical check up from occupational health, and there is an employee assistance program we can contact for help with things like money worries, stress and mental health.

The salary for apprenticeship schemes in BAE systems are very competitive. I have not had an issue meeting my costs with the money I am earning on my scheme, and the pay increases each year. There is also an annual bonus, the amount of which depends on how the company performed that year (and when you exit the scheme, the amount you get depends on your personal performance too).

There are lots of opportunities outside of work to get involved in STEM events. The company has a big focus on STEM events and trying to get young people interested in careers in engineering and technology, both within the company and in general. These opportunities are very frequent and there is a wide range of different events.

Yes

I would recommend a BAE Systems apprenticeship to a friend because there are apprenticeship schemes from level 3 to degree level, and they all offer competitive salaries and excellent opportunities within the business and just from a personal development point of view. The skills acquired and experience on placements let you get a feel for what path you want to take.

The first tip would be to do some research on the company and the sector of the company you are applying for, such as products they produce, and countries they operate in. I have had two interviews for BAE Systems (as I did the level three scheme for a year before progressing to the higher scheme) and this has come up both times. There are also assessment centres where you do team working puzzles to see how you work in a team, and my advice for these is to not be too pushy and bossy, but to try and stand out and take the lead if you can.