Business Apprentice Review

I am a business apprentice working at Leonardo, an engineering company based in Edinburgh. I work within the supply chain department ensuring their is a continuous supply of materials provided directly on to our shop floors for our engineers to use. Part of this role involves interacting with our supplier on a daily basis, and working closely with manufacturing managers and engineers to determine what their requirements are. I also work with procurement to deal with pricing and payments. I also carry out some production planning tasks as well, dealing with ensuring the correct stock is available at the right time. I attend college once a week, working to achieve a qualification in HNC Business.

I have successfully achieved a qualification of an SVQ Level 3 in Business and Administration and I am working towards completing a HNC Business course at Edinburgh College. Carrying out my role on a day-to-day basis has improved my confidence greatly, and I have developed my communication skills as a result of this. My role has also helped me to develop my problem solving skills and my daily use of Excel has helped my to improve my competency with this application. We are also able to undertake awareness sessions which are beneficial to us and the company. These are internal and include topics such as environmental awareness and cyber security training.

I enjoy my programme to a large extent. My work is varied and can be challenging at times which helps to keep it interesting. I work with a number of people, all of which are supportive and I am always able to ask for help if I need to. Adding in the extra qualifications that we are given the opportunity to achieve adds another element of enjoyment into the programme. We are also encouraged to volunteer for extra-curricular activities, such as recruitment events and events designed to encourage school children to pick STEM subjects. I get on well with the people in my area, the apprentice team and the other apprentices which also helps to add to my enjoyment of the programme.

I feel valued by Leonardo as I have been given responsibilities from the very beginning in every role I have been in and these have only increased as I have progressed through the apprenticeship programme. We are recognised in the apprentice community for the extra activities we take part in and there are often articles on the company intranet about apprentice activities that have been carried out. There is also an internal apprentice of the year award which takes place annually. When I completed my SVQ Level 3 in Business and Administration I, along with other apprentices and the apprentice management team, was invited to an awards ceremony where I received my SVQ certificate.

My programme is well structured. We are given an induction when we start our apprenticeship which provides information on what the company does and our roles within it. We also have a placement plan which tells us what department we will be working in and when. We have pre-placement and end of placement reviews with the manager we will be working with which allows us to set objectives that we will aim to achieve during our time working with them. We then carry out a presentation to showcase what we have achieved in that department and give feedback on the placement. There are also quarterly reviews with our apprentice manager to make sure we are on track with our placements and qualifications. We are also given time to study for our qualifications and receive two days study leave prior to our final exam.

My training provider is always available if I need support from them. I only attend college once a week but all of my lecturers are always happy to offer advice and guidance when I speak to them. The classes are informative which has helped when I am doing assessments, and we are given support to complete these. My lecturers are also available when I contact them via email and will support me with any questions I may have. We are also now preparing for our final exam and the lecturers have been very supportive in providing study materials, and helping us to study in preparation for it.

I receive as much support as I need from my employer. I have daily contact with my placement manager, who is always available if I need help with anything. I have quarterly reviews with the apprentice manager and there is a monthly apprentice meeting where we can raise anything to do with the apprentice programme. The apprentice team are always available if you need to speak to them via phone, email or in person and are always happy to support you if they can. Furthermore all of the colleagues that I have worked with in my time here have been more than willing to help me if I have required it. There is also a HR representative for my department who I can speak to if I need to.

My salary and benefits package meet my costs very well. It is a competitive wage that increases 5 times in the space of 4 years. There is new, affordable accommodation nearby and good transport routes to the site. There are a number of bus routes which stop outside the building and also free car parking available, which helps to keep transport costs low.

There are lots of opportunities outside of work and as apprentices we are encouraged to take part in these extra activities. We often attend recruitment events aimed at schools to promote our apprenticeships. I have been back to my old school on a number of occasions which has been enjoyable. There are also activities that take place on site, supported by apprentices, to encourage school children to take an interest in STEM related subjects.

Yes

I would recommend Leonardo to a friend as it is an enjoyable place to work, with varied tasks and roles to carry out during the apprenticeship. The work is interesting and can be challenging sometimes, which makes you feel more proud when you achieve something and see the benefits your work has internally. Taking part in recruitment events are always enjoyable and Leonardo also has a focus on raising money for the apprentice charity, which is satisfying to do. It also offers competitive wages and benefits such as flexible working hours which is extremely beneficial. The qualifications that it offers are good to have and there is always more opportunities to achieve further qualifications after the apprenticeship.

When applying to any of the Leonardo apprenticeship programmes I would recommend taking some time to go through the questions in the initial application, including as much detail as you can. The same applies to the assessment centre, which you should try to be as prepared as possible for. Finding out a little information on the company can never hurt as well.