Advanced Engineering Apprentice Technician (Flight Systems Apprentice Engineer) Review

Having spent my first year learning foundation skills in fitting, electrical, machining, and CAD, accompanied by a Technician Project; I was sent out into the business and completed seven three and four month placements withing various teams. I have since found an exit role where I will spend six months before finishing my apprenticeship in this role. My roll involves working with cutting edge and novel technologies to shape the future of flight systems engineering, I am part of the electrical power systems team, so anything to do with electricity generation, storage and distribution, we are usually the first to know. I use moddeling software like that offered by mathworks and create vraious electrical architectures to test, compare and review the effects of certain topology sets.

In terms of my exit role almost everything is new, that is why I am glad to have spent the past three years or so learning how to quickly adapt and manage myself in a fast paced, cutting edge industry. I have learnt the value of modelling systems and how to model them, I have learnt how to manage and engae suppliers and a whole host more. In line with this, I have recently completed my fully-funded HNC in aeronautical engineering at Distinction level and I am currently one term into my HND. I am now a qualified emergency first aider and fire marshall for my building as well as recently becoming a member of the IET allowing the use of designatory letters TMIET, following official completion of my apprenticeship I intend to use my learning and qualifications to regaister as EngTech through the IET and as an aspiration achieve chartered status.

The work is interesting, varied and engaging, and the team is exceptionally supportive when needed, but similary will allow you to work autonomously. The company culture is exceptional with many colleagues attending various LGBTQ+/Mental Helath/Disability awareness sessions and workshops as well as promoting everyone to be the best they can be. It meets my expectations in entirety, and it is a joy to wake up and go to work.

Induction was top class, with two weeks initial briefing followed by inductions carried out in each placement. Traingin is plentiful and readily available, support is all around you always with the like s of your colleagues and the employee assistance program and occupational health department. Mentors are those you aspire to be, tasks are meaningful and satisfying, hierarchy is as expected with engineers team/section leader etc. And the programme is exceptionally well organised.

Managers are always, in my experience, happy to support and engage with you at any oppurtunity. They often go over and above to enable apprentices and the like to raise queries or simply have a chat, as stated earlier support is top of class and the general attitude towaords supporting apprentices is that we are there to learn and excel, not make brews and mop the floor.

In terms of my HND I am taught by the same turors from the past three years through BTec and HNC and as such we have developed good relatponships with the lecturers, they are always open to supporting us in any way possible and will happily offer their own time to support us outside of class if asked. It's enjoyable in the sense of what you learn and acheive through it.

My apprenticeship learning is four days a week in a role within the business where I am expected to perform as a member of the team I am working in. One day a week is for day release. With regards to the applicability of this experience to my role, there is nothing more rleeveant I could be doing. I have gone from knowing very little about the whole sector, let alone my specific business to knowing that we have just qualified meteor missiles on typhoon and that our apprentice intake is up by an extra 100% this year.

Yes, I have been involved in a fair few enrichment oppurtunities. I have spoken to senior leader and the chief executive about a project I deliered, I have spoken to following cohortds to encourage them to undertake enrichment oppurtunities as part of my own. I have been a key speaker at apprenticheip completion cerewmonies multiple time and all of this came becuase someone though I had the potential to develop public speaking skills.

Yes

It is cinsistently the best apprenticship provider on this website :) You get to experience a year of personal development with like minded people who will become life long friends, you get to experince the breadth of the company with possibilities to fly on private jets, stay in swanky hotels and get fed nice food, you could be in an industry undergoing large changes where you can be the driving force behind it. All of this is available and more, if you want it. Only if you want it.

When applying the interviewers and those reviewing your apprenticeship want to get to know who you are, not what you've done. They want to probe to find something you are passionate about and get you talking about it. There are online aptitude tests, before interview, then on the interview day you present a project, re-take one of the aptitude tests under supervision and complete a simple manual dexterity test. As a final point, find out what a hectare is, it was one of the uestions on mine!