Maintenance Technician Apprentice Review

I am a maintenance technician apprentice. For the first year I am being trained in the workshop from tuesday through friday, being trained in areas such as hand fitting, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and electrical work. Mondays are dedicated to college work, where we are working towards a level 3 BTEC qualification in engineering manufacturing. From second year onwards I will be working on plant in various placements, writing logbooks and working on projects for each area while putting the skills learned in year one to good use.

Given that I had almost no practical experience in maintenance and engineering before starting this apprenticeship, my time in the workshop has been highly valuable to me. I have been able to learn new skills and develop old ones, and each rotation in the workshop has a clear structure in terms of what we need to learn and what we will be trained in. I have also expanded on my theoretical knowledge during the time spent working on the BTEC qualification. We can then put that knowledge into practice in the workshop, allowing for further development.

I have enjoyed learning new skills and improving my existing ones. There is a lot of interesting topics to cover both in the workshop and during college days, so I am definitely never bored. Although there is a lot of hard work involved, it is made more than worth it for what you gain. Overall the experience is an enjoyable one!

There is a big emphasis on the fact that apprentices are the future talent of the BMW Group (most of the people you will speak to who have worked at the company for a while were once apprentices, in fact). You will be supported throughout the apprenticeship, and from the beginning they will let you know your place within the company and how you will be expected to contribute.

There is a clear structure to the college work we do, with each unit given a time period to be comfortably completed in. The three rotations in the workshop also have a clear structure, but are also flexible in order to give all activities enough time to be carried out. Any expectations will be laid out before starting work so people do not fall behind.

The tutors for both the workshop and also BTEC work are all very supportive. They will make sure that you completely understand a task before you carry on, and explain everything clearly as they go along. If you encounter a problem then you can come to them and they will help you to solve it yourself where possible, and teach you how to approach the situation in the future if not.

I have always received support from my managers and mentors, whether it has been in relation to a personal issue or a work-related one. They will do their best to make sure that you are comfortable with what you are doing, and are constantly trying to improve the apprenticeship.

The salary covers all basic necessities such as rent, travel costs, and other purchases. The opportunity for a pay increase means that you can plan ahead and live comfortably on what you earn even as the apprenticeship progresses.

There are a few opportunities outside of work such as the family day and other similar events. There is also support from the company in regards to events organised by the apprentices; for example, the charity walk is being done in partnership with BMW in order to promote it and get more people involved.

Yes

It provides excellent training in a wide variety of areas, allowing for personal and professional improvement. The company is very supportive and the working environment welcoming, making it an easy apprenticeship to begin no matter what your background may be (if you have just finished GCSEs, A Levels, college, another job, etc.).

The application process is quite long, but each stage is very well explained. Follow the guidelines when it comes to the interviews and assessment days and approach the process with enthusiasm, and that will help a lot. Before any testing make sure to do some kind of practice, and play to your strengths when it comes to the assessments.