IM&T Higher Apprentice Review

The daily activities vary dependant on the placement I am in. Some placements will be more focused on 'at desk' work which would involve activities such as testing applications, analysing data etc. Other placements will require me to go out into the business and talk to people, this could be for gathering requirements, managing projects etc.

I have learnt lots of new skills whilst on my apprenticeship. Probably the biggest is an increase in confidence. The apprenticeship requires me to move placements every 3-6 months, this means working with a new team and getting to know new people. I have also been required to lead meetings with some senior employees - this is something I do not think I could have done on day one. I have learnt lots of new technical skills too, including how to use various applications that the organisation use.

I really enjoy the variety of the role. Getting to move placements means that I will be doing a completely different job, often in a different location across site. The opportunity to go to university in Manchester is really good and allows me to socialise with other apprentices from across the country.

The programme has a good structure. I always feel like I know what I am supposed to be doing and when - More often than not I know which placement I will be going to after the previous one and each placement requires me to complete a set of objectives (which I will often agree with the placement manager), I will then have an annual review each year with the early careers team to assess how I am doing against a set of competencies which are required for exit.

There is a large support network in place to help me through the apprenticeship. As discussed, in each placement I will have a 'placement manager' who will support me whilst I am in their placements. We then have a discipline manager who looks after all of the IM&T apprentices/graduates... This is someone that we can go to talk to if we have any problems. We then have the Early Careers team who we can go to speak to if we don't feel like we can/want to speak to anyone within our function.

There is plenty of support in place from the University. With us living quite far from the University (2hrs) the tutors are always happy to quickly answer emails or have Skype sessions to help us with our assignments. We also have a liaison tutor assigned to us from the university who will come and visit us every few months to review our progress and check we are doing ok at both university and work.

There are aspects of the university work that I believe can relate back to work. I feel like some of the group work which we do at university allows me to understand what I should be doing in the work place for best practise. Some of the topics that we do such as databases, strategy and project management allow me to understand the work place better. There are some modules at University don't really relate back to work, but due to the nature of the course - it has to be able to relate back to hundreds of apprentices from different backgrounds.

There are numerous out of work activities to get involved with. These can be sporty activities such as badminton, football, walking etc. There are also often other social activities such as meals out/nights out. Everyone is made to feel more than welcome and it is a very good opportunity to meet new people/build up relationships with peers and future work colleagues.

Yes

BAE is a great opportunity for someone to begin a future career. On my apprenticeship I have done lots of varied work, met lots of new people, made new friends, been given the opportunities to do various training courses and realised that there is lots of opportunities within the organisation to have a long, prosperous career.

Have a good read online and look at all the roles available and try and ensure you chose a role you believe you would be interested in. Attend any open days/career events where you can go and speak to members of staff/current apprentices. If you get the job, go in with an open mind, take all opportunities that are offered to you and ask lots of questions!