Engineering Technician Apprentice Review

My role varies as my apprenticeship progresses as I spend 3 month placements throughout the business trying to gain a deeper understanding of how BAE works. I have chosen the electrical route so all my placements just about relate to electrical in some way. These placements range between stage 1 where initial concepts and design specs are generated, stage 2 where detail design occurs through modelling software to testing and commissioning where I physically go on the boat we've built and test its systems.

I have learned a range of new skills again pertaining to which placement I have been in. In detail design I've learned how to use the modelling software. In testing and commissioning I have learned how to use test equipment to a greater extent than I did before such as flukes and learned to use new equipment like VSWR meters. I have also learned about inspection processes and how to get a system to acceptance level.

I greatly enjoy the apprenticeship because there's a good mix between learning, through our day release to college and through knowledgeable people we work with in our placements, and practical tasks which allow us to see the work done in offices put into action and working in real life.

The programme I'm on has been changed slightly, however I see it as being very beneficial to me as it's allowing me to try several electrical placements and get an idea of where I'd like to end up working as well as a couple of placements that are more widespread allowing me to see how the business works as a whole. The business is also quite flexible in that we can request to stay longer in certain placements or ask to go somewhere for a period of time if we're interested in that part of the business. This isn't always possible but BAE try to accommodate if they can.

We receive great support from BAE in all aspects from health to education. I personally had to have extended time off in 2018 due to illness which was totally fine with BAE and they offered me continual support relating to my return to work and my mental state whilst being back at work. I have also been allowed to attend my college on extra days to catch up on what I've missed through illness.

My training provider is Glasgow Clyde College (Anniesland campus) who have also provided great support during my years there so far. They are always willing to put on extra classes or meet one on one when they can to clarify things and have allowed me to fit into extra classes that weren't met for me due to previously missing them through illness.

The college have already provided me with 2 HNCs and I'm currently working on my HND and these combined qualifications give me a good grounding in electrical engineering which is my focused route in my job role at BAE. The college education gives me a good base to work off of and build on while at work which gives me more confidence when approaching my work.

There are several different extra-curricular activities throughout BAE that we can get involved in if we wish which can broaden our work network. We have an apprentice council which communicates a lot of these activities to us, for example, in 2018, all the apprentices pitched in one day of their time to help maintain the grounds of a children's hospice (Robin house) and BAE supplied the PPE necessary for this, allowed us the time away from the office and supplied us travel to and from the location.

Yes

I'd recommend BAE to a friend firstly due to the fact that they provide a great educational route to HND level and fund all of this while allowing you to work in the business and gain knowledge while getting to know the experts already in the job so that by the time you're fully qualified you can fit into the business well. Also throughout all of this education into engineering and the business you're getting paid and it's a decent salary compared to some other apprenticeships I've seen. BAE also have no age cap on who can apply to the apprenticeship scheme which was beneficial to me as I started when I was 27 and not a lot of companies offer apprenticeships to older people.

Only apply if you like working as part of a team and you're a good communicator. BAE initially are looking for people with the right attitude, even if you don't have any technical knowledge because they teach you all of that anyway through a training provider and your placements. They want to know that you're motivated and capable of leading as well as sitting back and letting someone else lead.