Toolmaking (Mechanical/Electrical) Apprentice Review

I am a Toolmaking apprenticeship and my role will involve the maintenance and care of the dies and tooling used in the press shop. The skills involve machining, electrical, and PLC systems. This first year I have spent 5 days a week at college building these skills ready for me to slot into placements in plant.

Yes, absolutely loads. I've learned everything from business improvement techniques to welding and milling to electronic/electrical installation and everything in between. In total there are 17 units that we must cover.

I've immensely enjoyed my apprenticeship thus far as I had no background in engineering so everything is very new to me. I'm loving every minute of my apprenticeship.

BMW Group does a wonderful job of making us feel values by including us in company bonuses, access to the group car scheme, and days out like weekend trips to Skern Lodge. We feel like we are a vital part of the BMW Group Company.

Structure is great and well organized. We always know whats ahead and are given plenty of time to prepare ourselves for whatever lie ahead.

Those who provide our training offer as much support as we need and are never left wanting. If we need anything they are always available to talk to.

Along the same line, we are never left without support and if we need to contact our employer or speak to anyone, they are always available.

It being an apprenticeship the wage isn't the best. However, BMW group offers a wage that is nearly twice the basic national minimum wage for apprenticeships. In that respect it is much better than what other companies offer.

Yes, there are many outside activities like the Mountain Challenge, Skern Lodge, and visits to schools and colleges.

Yes

The BMW Group apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity and offers a wonderful experience for us to learn, gain work experience, and get paid whilst doing it. The program is very well structured and incredibly diverse is what you learn as it gives you a base in multiple trades and skills. It sets you up for your future within a wonderful company.

If you have experience or an engineering background, great, if not, don't worry. Its best to have a can do attitude and show a keen interest in engineering. It would also be best to have a bit of education in engineering subjects.