Technician Engineering Apprentice Review

In my apprenticeship I move placements within the business every 4 months. This means that my day to day role changes depending on the placement I am in. In previous placements I have planned and carried out away days, signed off aircraft test flight documents, worked with contractors on on-site building projects and in a facilities design team working on site and building maps and plans.

Throughout my apprenticeship so far, I have learnt many new skills as prior to starting this job I did not have any engineering experience. I have learnt CAD skills through first year training and also in my current placement. Not only have I learnt and developed technical skills but I have also developed personal skills such as communication.

Although like with any job, there are off days where I don't feel like I enjoy my job, or find myself in placements that I don't necessarily enjoy, I do enjoy the programme itself. Due to moving around placements every four months I get to see a lot of the business so I really enjoy that aspect.

The engineering apprenticeship is structured well as you get to see many different areas of the business; from testing, to support, to facilities and design. The placements that we are put in coincide with our NVQ units which means that we are able to easily cover our units when working in the placements and get our qualifications.

Throughout my apprenticeship up to now I have received support from my assessor above and beyond what I expected. This support has not just been for apprenticeship/ NVQ queries but also future career and general personal questions. In all of my placements I have had a good amount of support from the teams I have been in.

Throughout my time on the apprenticeship my assessor has had regular meetings with me to discuss my NVQ progress. At times when I have been behind schedule for my NVQ qualification, she has helped put a plan in place to ensure I get back on target. My assessor has also helped ensure that all of the work I have created so far is up to the expected standard to ensure I get my qualification.

The NVQ qualification I am working towards goes hand in hand with the work that I complete in my role. However, I am currently studying a HNC in Aeronautical Engineering. This is not always relevant to my job so therefore doesn't help me to perform better in my job role. For example, 2/5 of my placements have been off aircraft so are not relevant at all to my HNC.

Throughout the apprenticeship there are many different opportunities that apprentices get to take part it. I have been fortunate to be involved in a variety of events and other enrichment activities. These include; apprentice recruitment events, Education Roadshows and other STEM events. I have also been in the lucky position that I got to partake in the German Exchange where I worked in Germany at Airbus for 3 weeks and then the partners came and worked here in the UK for 3 weeks.

Yes

I would recommend BAE Systems to a friend as I believe the company offers an apprenticeship to suit anyone. Whether it be business, engineering or project management, there is something for everyone. The apprenticeships are structured really well and a lot of work has been put in to ensure that it is a good quality apprenticeship.

When applying for an apprenticeship at BAE Systems it is important to take your time with the application and really think about which apprenticeship is best for you. There is lots of information on the BAE Systems website about each of the apprenticeships so it's definitely important to do your research.