Mechanical Maintenace Apprentice Review

My role as an apprentice is a maintance technicians role. This role involves performing planned and responsive maintenance on the various machines that are used in the factory to produce engine components for BMW Group cars. I work along side the Techicians on the production lines to learn from them and assist where i can within my skill set, i may also work along side contractors on special one off installation jobs etc. During my time in each area of the factory i get involved in and complete projects, working towards process and business improvement where possible. Each day i will walk the production line with the techicians and check on the machies for any problems that need resolving and respond to break downs as they happen, at the end of each shift we record the jobs done on that shift and leave hand over comments for the next shift.

The training takes place at a seperate college, Bmet, and is doe on a day release from work every tuesday. The current training is a level 3 mechanical and electrical maintenance BTEC as well as a level 3 NVQ which is carried out in the work place as we complete jobs. I have also recieved training from external companies in risk assessments. Working with various different technicians on each shift has provided me with much better people skills compared to when i started as i can now easilly and happily work with anyone with out problems such as anxiety when first meeting a new person. With regards to professional skills i have progressed massively as i am always working on something new and different so i am constantly having to learn and adapt to new problem situatuions and learn from mistakes. I have especially learnt a lot of fault finding skills and proper repair methods and set up methods for the various cnc machines in the factory.

I have very much enjoyed my time as an apprentice with the BMW Group so far as the vast majority of the time has been very beneficial to me in both a personal and proffesional sense. I feel i have learnt a lot over the course of the training of the first two years and i look forward to learning more and eventually becoming a full time member of a team.

As far as apprenticeships go i believe the BMW Group provide the best sense of value to their apprentices as we are treated more like members of the team than extras. Everyone, from managers and group leaders to operators and techicians,is very supportive of everry apprentice and always happy to help out where they can with our learning and our experince during our time with the company. Whenever we, the apprentices, provide help during maintenance task we always recieve praise and constructive advise on how we performed and what we can do to further our skills next time. The job in general is very fulfilling when maintenance task go well and when they do not everyone is there to help so the problems can be resolved.

The apprenticeship pathway that i joined when i started with the company was a new design called the Trial Blazer, this meant that almost all the processes and structures were brand new. Considering this, i belive that the apprenticeship so far ha been well structured by the company it self and only struggling in areas that are controlled by the college that provide the training. The company provides us with mentors who are there to help out if we have any problems work related or in our personal lives, these mentors have been very beneficial to curtain members of the apprenticeship and myself in helping us get the best experience. Support comes from all areas of the business as well with any task there are very few people we can't ask for help. The apprentice team hierachy consists of a group leader who gouverns all apprentices across the BMW Group, next down is the managers for each site who controll the apprentices placed at that facility then there is the apprentices themselves. As appretices we are all valued the same so there is no favouritism of hieracy which means we all get delegated tasks evenly and no one apprentice is over or under worked.

Our training provider, the Birmingham Metropolitan college, gives us as much support as they possibly can with the training its self and with support in managing the work loads and guidance with issues related to college, the work or personal problems. The majority of tutors are very helpful and supportive to us with some exceptions but any problems are dealt with properly by the college so they make the best learning enviroment for us. I do enjoy the training especially in the practical areas as i have found it enjoyable to learn and improve my skills

The employers provides us with more than enough suppotrt in all areas from work to training to personal health. We recieve all the same company benefits as the nromal employees and we get the bonus of extra support for the training and our well being as young apprentices. During my own personal experience i have had to deal a lot with HR due to non work related injury and they were incredibly caring and helpful when ever i needed to sort out paper work or seek medical help so i am very pleased with the support from the business in this respect. As for as professional support goes as well the company is always happy to provide extra help or training to give use the best knowledge and skills they can.

For an apprenticeship, the salary we recieve is fair for a younger person still living with their parents but does fall short a little for the older apprentices who have or are trying to move out. For the average age group of apprentices, of which i am one of the older ones, the pay is enough for their costs as a young person but it is soon realised as i have become older the pay starts to become tighter when trying to balance living cost and social costs. As for travel, when it is work related the company provide support for fuel or other travel cost so that isn't too much of a problem.

The company adn the college both provide a lot of activities outside of work for the students/ workers and their families with various events and benefits. I have participated in a few organised events wth the business such as team building in devon at Skern lodge and model releases at BMW dealerships. The company also run lots of charity events for people in the local area to the plant which any one in the business can participate in and these are always very benefitting to the local charities.

Yes

I have had a great experince so far with the company and i believe they can offer the same great experince to anyone who is willing to put the effort in to the traning nd the work. I have recommend the company before at many careers events run by the apprentices and i always stand by what i say, that this apprenticeship is one of if not the best for the oppurtunities it can provide to young people who want to work in engineering.

Always treat the interviwes and assessments with total respect and professionalism. Dress smart and talk properly out of repect for the people running the assesments as they do the same for every hopeful candidate. It is best to be yourself as always in interviews because the company wants to know what you are about and how they can rovide for you, so there is no need to pretend to know more than you actually do to try and impress. Most of all i would advice applicants to be punctual and attentive as these two features play a big part in how the assessors see you.