Technical Apprentice Review

I am currently a third Year Technical Apprentice. On a day-to-day basis I will be working alongside engineers to gain knowledge and understand of the highly technical products I will be working on. My responsibilities are to work as hard as possible and learn as much as I can. I will normally work within a function meaning I will be exposed to lots of our products which come under a certain field. I generally like the work i do and i wish to continue with the varied stuff i get to do.

From the start of my apprenticeship to date I have gained the following qualifications: SVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering Operations, HNC Engineering Systems and currently working towards a HND in Engineering Operations. I have also been involved in internal training which has gave me a better awareness of different functions that I may not get an opportunity to be exposed to throughout my rotations within the business.

I enjoy working alongside highly experienced engineers and being able to absorb as much knowledge from them as possible as it is really helpful and beneficial to my apprenticeship. I also enjoy the fact that I can be working as part of a team or by myself as I get given the responsibility to work by myself. when I first started I didn't know what to expect since I joined straight from school but it defiantly has exceeded my expectations.

Leonardo is a company which takes a lot of measures to ensure you are recognised for doing well within your role. I have taken part in the 'Apprentice of Year' within my company and despite not winning I received positive feedback that showed me I was doing well within my role. I also enjoy the quarterly reviews as it allows me to discuss with my supervisor how they think I performed during my time within their department.

We were provided with a 2 week induction which made me feel less nervous about starting since I was joining straight from high school. I also think the structured programme allows you to plan where you are going throughout the year, however there is room for movement if there was a certain function you would like to go to. I like the variety of work i have had as mentioned in Question 1 however i would like to maybe put some input as to what work would best suit my skills although i know this is unlikely to happen.

Edinburgh College is our training provider and I think they need to improve somewhat as i don't personally think it is up to the standards we should be getting from a college fully funded by a company such as Leonardo. Due to the lack of knowledge about our apprenticeship scheme it is sometimes hard to see the link between the work & college. It often feels like things are left to the last minute when it comes to tests and we are still teaching up to the last day before the exam.

The internal qualification (SVQ Level 3) we receive lots of support from both our manager and SVQ assessor to ensure we know exactly what is expected from us and who to contact if you need help. I think the overall company has a positive attitude to ensuring you have appropriate work to be able to complete the SVQ effectively. I know that there is always room for improvement and i do try to give some tips to my employer when asked for opinions as this then helps them improve the scheme for future apprentices.

I think the salary for being in 3rd year at £16k is very good for an apprenticeship but the work we do does have a massive impact on the companies success so I think it could be higher. Edinburgh is an expensive place to live so I have had to buy a place in Bo'ness so the travel cost are high to get to and from work. I know that it's difficult to complain when my college is being funded by the company, however we have to juggle work as well as college which students funding themselves do not have to do.

During my time within Leonardo I have been offered many opportunities to go on external visits and events which allow for networking with other companies and being able to tell me story about joining Leonardo straight from high school to hopefully make young people more aware about apprenticeships in the defence sector. I like going out and about in the local community too and in the summer there is usually a few events on, i missed one last year i would have loved so it would also be nice to have notifications on local events i think too.

Yes

Many people are unaware of the opportunities that an apprenticeship can offer due to parents only thinking of an apprenticeship meaning a plumber etc. as well as schools only really supporting university degrees from what i have seen. Very few people are aware that you can get an apprenticeship in the engineering sector and make a very successful career out of it. Plus the qualifications that you can gain can send you to university in the future.

Leonardo have a very hard application process but my best advice if you get through to the interview stages is make sure that you are confident during the group tasks, making comments and involving others who are maybe less inclined to speak out. Ensure during you one-to-one interview that you are relaxed, as it is more of a casual interview than extremely formal. Remember the whole day is your interview so continue to make a good impression throughout the day not just when you are being assessed (p.s. you are always being assessed).