Apprentice Review

Job Title - Advanced Engineering Technical Apprentice. Daily Tasks - Dependent on work placement there is variation, a constant is attending a college course on day release, travelling between sites to attend meetings for our apprentice innovation challenge. Daily Interactions - I can interact with a range of people in work, from apprentice peers, to chief engineers to managing directors, to suit the work. Daily interactions externally - external interaction are reliant on the job requiring external interaction, I have met, chauffeured, and challenged the head of a partner company in a prior placement. Responsibilities? Yes, lots. Projects - outside of my placement, I am part of the Apprentice Innovation Challenge, a project where we are tasked by a charitable organisation to produce an intelligent solution to a problem they experience. What do you do everyday - I will need to ensure my response complies with US export control/NATO classification/MOD classification/internal classification before release, please contact me through the provided email for further details.

Qualifications - So far I have attained a level 3 btec in Aeronautical engineering and I am ten weeks away from completing my 1st year HNC, with no student debt accompanying it. Internally I have been sent on many training courses, such as the respect and banter at work course, road safety training, as well as courses in things like grinding and a welding course was available. I look forward in the future and when i complete my apprenticeship to learn more skills too.

Work - the work has consistently been varied and interesting. Team - Each employee of the company I have worked with has been a joy to work with. Always open to help. Company culture - is fantastic. It exceeded my expectations. I am still enjoying it. I think that the work i have done so far has been really beneficial to my jobs i have completed within the business as well as when i have met new people and managers i have worked with too.

I feel particularly valued at BAE Systems, everyone is willing to help and provide praise and appreciation when you've done good work. It is a far reach from what I had expected entering a professional environment to be. The company definitely ensures that all the apprentices, be it technical, business, software or craft are looked after well and are always safe and secure within the business and happy too!

My programme is structured very well I would say, we receive a two week induction training at the start, spend our first year in a training school, while completing an academic qualification in parallel, then spend 2-2.5 years moving around the business looking at all different aspects of the company. Culminating in a final placement where you will come out as a qualified professional/skilled worker. Definitely would say the structure is really well thought out and planned too.

If I ever have any issues to raise, I can raise them to the appropriate people and escalate as necessary. We were taught the correct procedures from the beginning. There is mental/physical health support internally, a dentist, a credit union etc. And each person you encounter wants you to succeed and are often the first to offer to help. I know that my wage is not top notch however for an apprentice it's really good and a very well paid apprenticeship so i could not ask for anything better really.

Similarly, as my training provider and employer are the same entity. If I ever have any issues to raise, I can raise them to the appropriate people and escalate as necessary. We were taught the correct procedures from the beginning. There is mental/physical health support internally, a dentist, a credit union etc. And each person you encounter wants you to succeed and are often the first to offer to help. I get on very well with my employer too.

In relative terms yes. Compared to other apprentices around the country, we do very well. Of course it easy to complain about not being paid enough however, since joining the scheme, I now have a car, a new phone, a large assortment of new tools, and enough money to save each month, as well as maintaining a healthy social life. I think that overall as mentioned, my salary is really good for an apprenticeship at this level especially compared to the national apprenticeship minimum wage too. i cannot complain!

The company offers a wide variety of events ranging from flower sales to charity events. Specific to apprentices there is; the German exchange programmes, world skills UK, princes trust, the innovation challenge and more. I enjoy the STEM events on offer as well where you can go into schools or help at career event days trying to inspire some of the local children into engineering which i really enjoy doing as it gives me a break from my desk too!

Yes

It is recognised as an excellent training scheme for those geared towards engineering. There are what feels like an infinite number of opportunities there for you to take. Interesting and varied work, competitive apprentice salary and excellent salary following the apprenticeship, it leads to a career. I would definitely say it was worth it and i have already mentioned the apprenticeship programme at BAE Systems to some of my friends and family members.

The application should convey yourself as a person, your personality should shine through your words. They do not want. My name is xxxx, I made a project, the project was... Interviews are in depth, a manual dexterity test is par for the course and a re-test of one of the aptitude tests taken ion the application process will be done. The interviewers appreciate it may be your first "proper interview" and are very accommodating.