Technical Apprentice Review

For the first year of the apprenticeship, I was at college full-time working towards a level 2 PEO and the first year of the level 3 BTEC. After that, I have been in 3 month placements around different departments of the company experiencing a variety of tasks and activities. I still go to college one day a week in order to complete the second year of the level 3 BTEC.

So far I have completed a level 2 performing engineering operations (PEO), Personal and learning thinking skills (PLTS), level 2 functional skills in ICT and the first year of the level 3 BTEC and am currently completing the second year of the level 3 BTEC and a level 3 NVQ at work. I have also undertaken a wide range of training courses at work covering areas such as health and safety and more skill-related courses.

So far I have enjoyed the programme. The first year at college I was able to develop a lot of engineering skills and have enjoyed the placements I have been in at work so far. There are also plenty of opportunities to take part in. The only problems I have had so far are that the college we go to isn't great (bad teachers and organisation) and that sometimes there isn't a lot of work for apprentices in certain placements.

Leonardo values their apprentices pretty highly. There are always plenty of opportunities to get involved in and apprentices always seemed to be earning recognition for what they do. The issue I have with this however is sometimes it feels like certain individuals are recognised more than others.

The programme is fairly well organised. When I first started at the company, we were given a 3 day induction where all of the basics were introduced to us and the whole programme was explained. There are reviews every 12 weeks to keep up with your progress as well as monthly apprentice meetings to discuss upcoming events/college/etc. The only problem with organisation with the programme is placements. There have been times where the placements are due to rotate and apprentices have not had placements however this also partly due to apprentices not being proactive.

The support from the college was good in the first year and our tutor always made sure we were remaining up to date with college work. The support has somewhat dropped off in the second year however this is probably due to the fact we are there only one day a week. The support from certain teachers at times is also a bit lacklustre.

There is plenty of support provided from the employer. Reviews are carried out every 12 weeks to ensure progress is being made and targets set. The apprentice managers are always available and willing to help you with any problems and placement managers are often very supportive as well.

In comparison to the minimum apprentice wage, the salary we receive is good. The only annoying thing is a 2nd year technical apprentices salary is lower then a 1st year business apprentice.

There is wide range of opportunities to get involved in both inside and outside of work. There are a lot of STEM events which apprentices and graduates participate in both at local schools and larger events such as the big bang fair. There are also plenty of charity events such as quiz nights and sport events such as football, tennis and rounders.

Yes

Great alternative option to going to university. Plenty of opportunities available to develop skills and apprentices are always treated well. There is also the added bonus of being able to earn while you learn.

When applying, also make sure you do your research before going to an interview. Always looks better on you when you know a bit about the company beforehand and shows your interested.