Buisness Apprentice Review

As a Business Apprentice I offer general support to the department within my current placement. My tasks on a daily basis can consist of anything from simple data entry to supporting a customer meeting or contacting external clients. I also contribute a portion of my time to completing my NVQ studies which I am expected to do on site.

I am currently studying the Level 3 NVQ in Business Administration, which is near completion. During my time at the company I have developed my communication skills and learnt to function efficiently both as an individual and as a team. I have also completed various internal training courses on a range of topics, including environmental awareness and anti-bribery/corruption.

The placement system within Leonardo is a great way to find the business area in which you are best suited and helped me to decide which path I want my career to take. I have had the opportunity to meet a range of different people from a variety of backgrounds and have thoroughly enjoyed the programme in general.

I feel that Leonardo goes a long way to praise their employees for working hard, which is an excellent motivator to perform well. Despite being an apprentice I have been tasked with very important projects and trusted to perform well, which has help me grow and develop in to an efficient and productive member of the team.

The induction and training sessions that I undertook during my first few weeks at the company were extremely beneficial and helped me to gain an understanding of what was expected of an employee within the workplace. There is an excellent level of support available to me with regards to studying through my NVQ assessor and the Apprentice Training Officer. However not all placement managers receive apprentices as well as others and do not always have an effective plan in place when you arrive.

I meet with my NVQ assessor every 2 weeks and sometimes in between when required. This ensures that I am always on my toes and that I continue to move forward with my studies. The Apprentice Training Officer always makes herself available if I am ever experiencing any problems or wish to discuss a query. I have generally enjoyed completing my qualification however it can sometimes be time consuming and get in the way of the work within the department.

The level of support I receive from my employer is generally very good, the placement manager is normally happy to answer any questions and provide extra training where provided. They are also very supportive of the fact that I need to balance their tasks with my coursework and will often allow for extra time to complete these tasks once I have explained that I also have coursework to complete.

I feel that my salary package meets my costs effectively as I have never had any trouble in covering my living costs, travel costs, daily costs or social costs.

There are a wide variety of opportunities outside of work, including awards evenings, Christmas parties and general social outings organised by the company with the aim of boosting moral within the workforce. As an apprentice I am also exposed to various charity activities, such as fundraisers like charity runs and bake sales.

Yes

I would recommend Leonardo to a friend because I believe their apprenticeship scheme is a great way to make the transition from education to working life.

I would advise those applying at Leonardo to make as good of an impression as possible during the assessment centre. It is important to be as forthcoming and possible and talk to as many staff members as you can. Even if you are unsuccessful there is a lot to be learned from the Leonardo recruitment process.