Maintenance Technician Apprentice Review

I am a maintenance technician apprentice. This job role involves diagnosing and fixing problems, also maintaining the equipment and machines, including robots that produce the products we manufacture. Day to day this involves carrying out routine maintenance, performing tests on the machines to maintain accuracy and carrying out continuous business improvement assessments.

Whilst progressing through the apprenticeship much of my existing skills have been improved. This includes time management and my general work ethic. My practical skills have also improved thanks to the emphasis on building up a good engineering skill set this apprenticeship provides. New skills I have gained include presentation skills and the ability to analyse data to find possible improvements.

I really enjoy the programme. The college I attend is very well equipped with high quality, industry standard equipment which is excellent to make use of. The team I work alongside make the work I carry out very enjoyable and there is always a good atmosphere within the workplace. So far I haven’t had a morning when I haven’t wanted to come to work!

Working for BMW it is very difficult to not feel valued by the company. They provide many employee discounts for a large variety of companies available through a website provided by BMW. The employee car scheme is excellent meaning that you can potentially get a brand new BMW or MINI every 6-9 months. The company also send you on work trips with travel and food contributions and accommodation fully paid for.

The first year of the apprenticeship is spent at college. The trailblazer being a new program the college has had its teething problems with it. However BMW has ensured that any problems were rectified. After the first year you are then on 3 month placements in different departments within the factory. This is so that you can get a taste of all aspects of the business.

The support from the college is good. They ensure that you keep on top of all your assessments and hand in all your assignments on time and at a high quality. A review is carried out every 3 months where targets are set for you that you have to meet by the next review.

BMW provide excellent support to you as you progress through the apprenticeship. The attitude towards apprentices is excellent, I've never had anyone who is not willing to help me out or provide me with advice on how to carry out tasks. BMW carry out a review of your progress every 6 months where targets are set that you must aim to achieve.

The salary is very competitive with many other companies. If you continue to show progression and meet your targets during your reviews you can potentially get a pay rise every 6 months. My starting salary started at £12,600 and it has already risen to around £17,000 by the end of my first year. I live in a rented flat and have a car on the car scheme. My salary means and i can comfortably live, pay my rent and all my bills and living expenses.

There is a gym at the factory that you can use free of charge and many fellow workers meet up to share their love of vehicles on a regular basis including attending car meets and shows.

Yes

It is an excellent company to work for and you will feel valued as an employee.

Be up to date with the latest automotive news. Including new releases of technology, new cars being launched and any other news that may effect the industry. Such as Brexit or the new European emissions laws. Learn the history of the company because you will likely be tested on this knowledge during an interview.