Project Management Apprentice Review

Currently in my role I help the Planning team develop and maintain project plans. It involves a lot of checking others staff members work and making sure it is correct before imputing it into a plan. It has been good to get involved and have a look through different plans to get a better understanding of how they work and how to use the software. It has been a great experience so far and am excited to see what comes next.

I have been gaining valuable experience in using the software Primavera P6, the software used to create all the plans. It is a complex software to get your head around but the team have been very helpful in making sure I understand. I have also gained more confidence in speaking in front of new people. I gave a presentation to a group of people from procurement and it went very well so I fell a lot better about speaking to groups now.

I have been really enjoying the programme so far, I have only had one placement so far but the team I have been placed with are so friendly and helpful it has been very encouraging. The work I do as well is also very interesting. I never thought I would be learning so much in such a short space of time.

The programme has a good structure in the sense that we all get to move placement every six months, so that is a good chance to see lots of areas of the business during our time here. However, the work that I am given in the placement so far has been repetitive, not a very structured workload. It has been good but needs a more consistent programme of work.

I receive a good amount of support, I attend monthly meetings with the careers team and they ask us how everything is getting on. If we have any issues with the placement or the college work it is very easy enough to approach them and ask for help. They have been good at engaging us with different people so that we build a god network for moving forward.

I have been finding the training course quite difficult. We are in a class with people who have been part of a business for some time and have reasonable knowledge of the course already, however I struggle to pick up on some terms and pieces of information at times. The training provider does not usually give feedback on how well we answer questions when uploading onto e-track so it is difficult to understand how I am really getting on with the work.

Once I have attended the week with the training provider I sometimes see elements of the work from there in a real life context at my work. Therefore it gives me a better understanding of how some things work within a business and helps me to see the connections from one area of work to another.

I am currently involved with the apprentice council in BAE as it is a good opportunity to meet new people and get myself involved in networking events and different charity fundraisers. So far the council have been very welcoming and I have been given the role to help design and create the newsletter. It is a great chance to get away from everyday work and give myself an extra challenge throughout the year.

Yes

I would recommend anyone to work for BAE Systems as it is a very friendly place full of new and exciting opportunities. I feel as though I have been welcomed with open arms and will be pushed to challenge myself and try everything new. There are so many chances to grow and develop new and existing skills within the company as they have taught me a lot already over only six months.

I would advise that you be confident and very open to new things. You will be challenged to work outside your comfort zone but this is the best way to help you grow and develop. It is a tough job so you must be very resilient and be able to work around things changing all the time. Communication is a key attribute to have when working for BAE Systems as everyone must be kept up to date with changes and even networking to meeting new people is a great chance to make new relationships.