Engineering Technician Review

I work within the Detail Design team at BAE Systems and my day to day roles consist of working on 2D and 3D models of the project. Our role is to spatially integrate system components in a way which provides optimum functionality and maintenance, and allows the manufacturing and production team to build with ease.

Prior to entering this job, I believed I had a fundamental understanding of engineering systems and applications. However, I was introduced to an environment which showed me I still had much to learn. I am in the final year of my apprenticeship now and still, everyday I learn something new and have barely scratched the surface on the potential skills I could acquire whilst working here.

This apprenticeship programme has given me more opportunities than anywhere else I would have looked for a job. Through this I have enjoyed every part of the apprenticeship. Even on the days where work is tough and the finished project seems miles away, I still strived to do my best and the payoff when achieving our goal was priceless.

Upon our arrival in the company, the programme was well planned and our future seemed clear. This transcended in our college studies. However, once we left full-time college and moved into the workplace, we were slowly forgotten about and a large portion of our placement arrangements had to be made ourselves. This was apparent in even the simplest of things, such as co worker interaction. Our year group felt like "The forgotten year" due to a seismic shift in the apprenticeship programme layout. This caused most employees to glass over our existence and only a select few who worked close to us seemed to really care about our wellbeing, or even offer help. My piers and I feel like we will finish our apprenticeship, and whilst other year groups have had a huge reception for congratulatory purposes, we feel like no one will even notice. Whilst this point spans across other issues, I believe the catalyst in this began when the apprenticeship programme changed, and we were left on the old schedule, resulting in us receiving less focus.

This question spans two main types of support, so in the case of work-based support, i.e. learning, finding information etc. the company is very helpful to all people new and old. In the case of emotional and wellbeing support, the company has a range of support lines set up which I have heard are extremely beneficial to the wellbeing of employees. However, not all people in the company seem accepting of this type of support and it is not granted to the employee unless you ask to be referred, which in itself is an emotional mountain to climb. I believe there could be a better way of obtaining this type of support for employees but a survey would likely need to be conducted on the people who have used that service before. Perhaps more sessions with employees on mental wellbeing is a good place to start.

Throughout the apprenticeship, we have regularly had drop-in sessions with our training officer, wherein we have the opportunity to ask as many questions as possible regarding our qualifications. The lecturers at college were extremely helpful also, especially in the run up to exams. We are given feedback in the workplace on work we submit as part of our qualifications and this is discussed at each 12 week review we have. Overall, I am happy with this support.

There are pieces of my qualifications from college that I use almost autonomously everyday in the workplace, which is beneficial because they are deep routed in my conscience. Our work-based qualifications are directly linked to the work we undertake each day. Therefore, we are assessing our work as we complete it, which is a good skill to practice. Especially when looking at 'Lessons learned'.

When we first joined the business there was very limited social events gathered and most of these were done internally within a department or office. Now, there is a new incentive to generate "Apprentice Social Events" which allow people with similar interests to get in touch with each other. This I found was an excellent idea, especially for those who struggled with social interaction upon starting the apprenticeship.

Yes

The apprenticeship scheme at BAE Systems has undergone significant changes since my arrival in the company and largely these are for the better. I believe the skills and experience they provide now would rival most 4 year university degrees. Additionally, the bonus to this scheme is that you earn as you learn, and you are paid generously for your contributions to the project. Furthermore, there is guaranteed job security upon completion of the scheme and across the 4 years of working here, a great deal of connections are made within the business, meaning that an array of doors could open for you, if you choose to pursue them.

I would recommend studying the company in great depth to gain a significant understanding of what we do as a business. Additionally, I would research as much as possible on subjects such as Naval Architecture and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Most of all, I would say to approach with a positive and confident attitude, with a desire to learn.