Telecommunications Engineer Review

My daily role will usually consist of fault finding or new installations of copper and fibre lines to a wide variety of locations from customers private premises to large businesses. I am usually given a number of jobs to have completed by the end of the day which will involve visiting the customers directly or working on the network externally.

I have learnt a wide variety of new skills since starting my apprenticeship with Openreach. I had no previous experience in the industry and therefore had no prior knowledge of how the telephone network works. Having been provided with very good classroom training and extensive field work with an experienced engineer, I believe I have developed a good understanding of my role.

I am very much enjoying the programme. My previous career in the Royal Marines was very different from this industry, so I feel that such a massive change is very interesting. I am also enjoying learning an entirely new set of skills and find it satisfying to see my progression.

I feel that the programme is very well structured and believe it is a good mix of classroom based learning combined with hands on work in the field. I enjoy learning when I am able to practice what I am taught in a real life situation and feel that the programme is built around hands on learning.

I feel the support is generally very good. There are always experienced engineers in the area that you can call for advice or you have the option to request an assist from another engineer. There is also a helpdesk ran by experienced coaches which is very useful. I feel that the company would benefit from a better structure to the feedback given as these sessions are not regular enough.

There are a total of 10 sessions organised throughout your time when you are working towards your qualifications which are very useful. The sessions concentrate of how to correctly complete the portfolio that is required to gain the qualification. The assessor will talk you though each step and help with an problems you might have.

I feel that the most relevant part of the qualification is the hands on work that you perform day to day. The classroom sessions are useful to complete the required portfolio however they do not contribute in any way to making you perform better in the job. They are simply a way to prove what you have been learning in the field.

An e-mail is sent out called ''The Loop''. This contains a lot of information involving extra-curricular activities ranging from sports trips/ teams to visits to various part of the company from the BT Headquarters to the research and development centre. ''The Loop'' will explain how to get in contact with the relevant people to attend these visits.

Yes

I have on many occasions recommended BT to friends because i believe it is a very good company to work fro. The starting pay is well above average for an apprentice and there are a lot of opportunities to progress within the company. There is also a good pension scheme and a lot of benefits that come with working for BT

I would advise people that the job is fairly physical as you are out and about in such a wide variety of locations that it could involve carrying ladders for long distances or climbing a lot of telegraph poles. I would also advise that they have a head fro heights as you spend a lot of time up ladders or on poles.