Business Apprentice Review

When I started BAE Systems on the Business Management Apprenticeship scheme I joined as a Procurement apprentice. During my apprenticeship I would experience 4 20 week placements around the business in Procurement job roles with the chance to swap to the Commercial function for my 4th placement before I move into my exit role. As an apprentice Procurement Engineer, I have regular contact with suppliers to ensure that we are on target with deliveries. I am responsible for placing orders, tracking orders and monitoring my supplier. I have had the opportunity to visit my supplier for views and is heavily involved in the supplier stakeholder population.

I am working towards gaining qualifications towards my future career which will open me up to other opportunities such as degrees/further education. In the procurement function, I will be looking to register to complete my CIPS qualification which is something I would like to do. I have taken part in many training courses associated with Procurement during my time here to extend my understanding in this subject. I have learnt skills from both training courses as well as spending time with important people around the business hearing about their experiences and advice which I feel has been helpful.

So far in my programme I have really enjoyed all my placements when working in and around the business. I have always worked well in a team and got on with others well in my team, as well as on the apprenticeship programme. The company is a brilliant place to work and absolutely meets my expectations of BAE Systems. I am really happy i chose to apply for this apprenticeship and if i could go back to the start, i would not have changed anything.

I feel very valued at BAE Systems. I have had a lot of support from both my line managers as well as others around the business. Apprentices are highly valued at BAE Systems which makes working fun for us apprentices. Senior management team take a lot of time outside of their daily work to spend time talking to apprentices giving us advice and information about being successful in our careers.

I think that the programme is very well structured as a whole. As a 2 to 4 year apprenticeship (depending on which apprenticeship you undertake), it is a brilliant time for young adults to settle into the business. We are allocated time each week to complete our NVQ and college work which is helpful. The training school offer a lot of help throughout the apprenticeship which is worthwhile and helps us all progress on to our next step along the way.

The tutors at the training school are a great help. I have always had a lot of help and support from the Business assessors at BAE Systems. The trainers are always happy to help apprentices which is important when completing our NVQ as well as support in the apprenticeship itself as this is most of the apprentices first full time job. I have enjoyed my time with the assessors due to their hard work and support.

I have received a lot of support from my employer since the start of my apprenticeship here at BAE Systems. There are many people apprentices can talk to around the business for any help and support if required. The HR team are always around in the training school and is always helpful when needed. There is a lot of support from my employer and I would definitely recommend joining an apprenticeship with BAE Systems.

BAE Systems offers a very competitive rate for apprentices. The salary package is very generous which encourages the best people to join BAE Systems. As an apprentice that travels 300 miles a week to work, extra travel costs would be helpful to cover for the extra miles I have to travel each day/week than other local apprentices. I have never heard of any complaints with the salary, especially when comparing it to that of other similar companies' apprenticeships.

Yes there most definitely are. There are lots of opportunities outside of work to get involved with. During my apprenticeship I have been chosen to attend many events such as representing MAI at the Big Bang Event in Birmingham in 2016, volunteering at a local primary school to redecorate over the school holidays, charity events ect. BAE Systems is very community orientated which is important for our type of business. We also do bake sales and other charity events now and then on our site too.

Yes

BAE Systems has been an amazing start to my career. Before joining BAE Systems, I completed my A-Levels therefore I was stuck between completing a degree at university or joining BAE Systems on an apprenticeship. I have never regretted my decision and cannot wait to continue my career with BAE Systems. I fell as though there are jobs here suited to most people, whether it's business, technical, software, electrical or mechanical.

When applying for BAE Systems, it is important that you show you are a great team player. This is important as all job roles in the company involve some kind of team working. Applicants should be relaxed at interviews to ensure you act yourself and do a good job. It would also be best to ensure the applicant has some knowledge of the business and understands what sort of products we deal with and the customer base we have too.