Technical Apprentice Review

As a Technical Apprentice I am currently on a rotation around the technical departments on site. My daily tasks vary depending on which department I'm working in, with tasks inculding answering queries and creating internal and external documentation. I interact with people both in my department and those working in other departments on a regular basis with the majority of these interactions being within my team. My responsibility varies depending on the task I am completeing, the more knowledge I have about a task, the more responsibility I am likely to be given.

In my first year of the apprenticeship I completed a PEO L2 and then began my NVQ L3 in Engineering Technical Support which has continued throughout my apprenticeship. During the first 2 years of my apprenticeship I attended Hull College part-time completing a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Engineering. I then moved onto the part-time Foundation Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Hull University, and am currently in the second year of the 3 year course. Internally we are required to complete SHE courses every 3 years to ensure that out Health and Safety knowledge is kept up to date. My personal and professional skills have both been built on in several different ways through working as part of several different teams on a variety of projects.

My enjoyment of the programme varies depending on the team that I am working with and the task that I am given. As in any job, some tasks may be mundane and repetative, but other jobs are really interesting and challenging. The team that I am working with changes regularly and therefore so do team dynamics. As each placement only lasts for 4 months, the work that you're involved in and the team that you are working with changes regularly. This means that when faced with a department that doesn't really interest you, you know that you can move on in a short period of time.

During my apprenticeship I always felt valued by my immediate managers and team members. Even as an apprentice I was always included in the tasks being undertaken by the team, rather than just being given the tasks that nobody else wanted to do. I feel that the company try to recognise individual achievements, however this is difficult with such a large number of employees and apprentices.

During the first 2 weeks of the apprenticeship we were given an induction to the site and the apprenticeship, we then also have individual inductions on entering each new area. The structure of the apprenticeship is set out from the beginning, and the structure of the rotation plan works well. Although we saw a few mishaps towards the beginning of our apprenticeship programme, I believe they were quickly resolved leaving a well organised and structured programme.

The support provided by the training team is excellent, and our training mentor is always willing to provide guidance and support. We have regular meetings with our supervisor, and these have been increased towards the end of the apprenticeship.

The support from individual team members and supervisors varies depending on the area that you are working in. The majority of people are always extremely helpful and a lot of team leaders make themselves approachable with any issues. I've always found people happy to provide me with guidence whenever I have had problems.

The starting salary was relatively good, and salary rises were given at the end of each apprenticeship year when certain conditions had been met. The salary increases were excellent and the salary is extremely good for an apprenticeship.

I have been lucky enough to attend a number of events on behalf of BAE Systems, and all have helped me to improve my social skills. During the first few years of the apprenticeship I participated in a number of charity events.

Yes

The apprenticeship scheme is a brilliant opportunity to gain vital work experience whilst also being paid to progress your education.

The application process has changed since I applied for my apprenticeship, so am not in a position to comment on this. However, I would say the best advise for the interview would be to research the company beforehand.