Technician Review

On a day to day basis, my tasks are varied. The Apprenticeship has a large scope in terms of job roles which apprentices circulate through, which means you swap job roles every 4 months. This means you not only get as much experience of the business as possible, but it also means that your job is different and the work varied.

During my apprenticeship I have learned many new skills. I have learned technical knowledge in the field of aeronautical engineering, with experience across various types of engineering, including systems, avionics, quality and manufacturing. I also have developed 'soft skills' such as team working, confidence and communication skills, this is achieved through both work activities, and stretch objectives.

Because I am interested in the aeronautical field, I enjoy my work thoroughly. The work I do is interesting and keeps me engaged. In my exit role I am working towards a future platform which gives me the opportunity to shape the future of the company and the future products we will produce.

The organisation of the programme on paper is good, The units and criteria that you need to meet in order to complete the apprentice is laid out clearly for you to see, however, there has been mixed experiences with internal assessors that have been sometimes difficult to contact when some help is required in terms of what competencies are needed and how to meet them.

There is a reasonable amount of support available from the early careers team and other support programmes the company has, however the early careers team can sometimes be unhelpful and communication can be poor. If there are any issues that can be difficult to discuss these are sometimes avoided, for example delays on pay or back pay.

The support towards the qualifications in my apprenticeship is good, the company has dedicated facilities for learning which means they have greater visibility of the quality of teaching, however there has been instances where some teaching has been poor, or not organised very well which has had a negative effect on the understanding of the subject.

The learning we do towards our qualification is appropriate some of the time, however there is some subject matter that is not relevant to the job role I do, saying that, there are technicians in lots of extremely different roles around the business and this needs to be catered for in the learning that apprentices do.

The company provides many extra curricular activities that are helpful in the work place. The company sends all apprentices on Outward Bound which is a week long course in the Lake District to help develop teamwork and confidence. The company has various opportunities throughout the apprenticeship that you are encouraged to get involved in.

Yes

Overall, the BAE Systems Apprenticeship program is of high quality and the learning associated with the qualifications gained is to a reasonably high standard. There is plenty of opportunity to push yourself beyond your normal day job which keeps work interesting. There is a large scope for the career path that someone might want to go down which means there is lots of final options for an exit role that can suit different types of people.

My advice would be to go beyond what you would normally consider when applying for a job, everyone will have qualifications such as GCSE'S, A Levels, etc. The company will look for what makes you stand out from the crowd. The company wants to know if you will fit into its 'culture' more than just the knowledge you may have.