Engineering Technician Review

In my role I am looking at problems that occur within the different areas of the factory that could affect production. This includes failure analysis on; metal, plastic and other materials. I also look at parts that have come back from warranty, and parts that are not correct on cars to establish how they have been damaged.

Yes I have learnt new skills and developed existing ones. The first year of training provided me with insight into electronics and programming which I had not covered before whilst also improving on my knowledge of mechanical principles, this was done by working on equipment that may be found within the factory to ensure that we are experienced enough to work within the factory after the first year of training.

I enjoy the program a lot, it is very fulfilling and I am learning new things every day. There is a good sense of being part of a team as a BMW Group Apprentice, and the program has met all of my expectations so far. The company culture is very focused on ensuring that the quality of the product is as high as possible, and that the customers are completely satisfied with their cars.

I do feel valued by the BMW Group as they invest heavily into apprentices, and ensuring that as an apprentice you get the full experience working for BMW. Internal recognition could be improved as sometimes important work goes unnoticed.

The program is well structured, and well organised. There is a good support process in place for any concerns, with the training managers only being an email/call/walk away. Before you start the program there is a framework in place for which departments you'll be placed into, for the length of time, and who the departmental contact is.

The training provider in the first year is BMET College, and they are based on site at Plant Oxford, and are always available for any queries. The degree is provided by Oxford Brookes, and subcontracted out to Abingdon and Witney College, which we attend 2 days a week. Again they are available if we have any queries via email or phone, and are happy to help with any problems we might have.

The employer provides a good amount of support to the technicians by always being available if there is an issue. The problems are resolved quickly, and information is generally handled well. Sometimes an email response may take longer than expected, but there are other faster methods of contact and they are always willing to offer support.

The salary in the second year is considerably better than when joining the company. When extras such as a car scheme is considered as a salary sacrifice this makes travelling to and from work simple, although depending on the choice of car this can become expensive. It is still difficult to save a sufficient amount of money if you are looking to purchase a house or move away from home (and not stay in a shared house) on the current salary. There is a WTA scheme available for when you do extra hours outside of working time, but this is harder to use than expected.

There are a few opportunities outside of work such as; the Mini Challenge Race Team that operates from Plant Oxford. There was a 5-aside tournament, and a BMW run Mountain Challenge activity. These are only once a year. An improvement would be to have a small budget available for Apprentice team building or if there are any activities that people would like to undertake, that they don't want to fully fund themselves.

Yes

The BMW Group is highly recognisable global brand that offers a lot of opportunity for transition into different roles, and the potential to travel with the company.

Ensure that the application process is filled out correctly as the website isn't very easy to follow. Ask more about the first year of the apprenticeship, as this was not mentioned until the application and on boarding process was completed.