Software Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

My day to day role varies depending on the particular placement I am in. At the time of writing, I am working in a team on a company project. My tasks for the day include some miscellaneous personal administration, e.g., any expenses responding to emails, sending out emails, and so on. The rest of the day is mainly spent doing what ever work has been set by my line manager. This can involve talking to others to debug issues. This particular project is now in the rather late stages of development, so there isn't much development work to do, but there is plenty of testing and integration work to complete, the former of which is what I am involved in.

I have learnt to take more responsibility for the things I've got to do. I have learnt to program in C++ and continue to gain familiarity with the system my team is working on. In my previous placement, I developed my skills in administration and taking the lead. I've also become more accustomed to talking to people rather than using email.

The company culture is excellent. It is not too formal and there are plenty of opportunities. There is tons of support available in all sorts of areas, and people are very happy to help. The company wants you to have a healthy work-life balance as well. This being my first job, I didn't know what to expect, but I am definitely enjoying working for the company. My current team is also very good. Everyone works well together and they are happy to answer questions and help.

The programme has been well-structured so far. I was inducted along with the year's graduate and undergraduate intake. On our second week, we went to the company's Stevenage site for a personal development week. I've received good support from my managers. The apprenticeship's placement mapping and structure have been mostly defined, although specific details will be filled-in in due time. I have also been made familiar with the degree structure as well.

I had a very good experience with support from the employer. I have multiple people I can talk to, and the attitude of everyone is excellent in this regard. For example, on two occasions, I've asked colleagues to come and give me feedback on a college presentation. I feel like everyone involved in the apprenticeship is positive towards it and supporting me.

The staff at college are highly supportive of all their students. There is plenty of opportunities to talk privately to tutors and also gain feedback. They are more than happy to help, and college also provides a range of services to support their students. They are also more than happy to clarify what they are looking for in assessments.

At the time of writing, I don't think my learning has impacted much on my day-to-day work. However, this is becoming less true as time passes. I've performed one (joint) presentation at work, and I've got others coming up, which joins up with two of my assessments. In terms of programming skills, the self-study i undertook before the apprenticeship has helped both areas. Time management and taking responsibility for my work has also impacted my work.

There is plenty of extra-curricular activities to get involved with at MBDA. Examples include regular charity events, some sports teams, and voluntary initiatives. My department does a coding challenge every year, which I am currently taking part in. I've also been to some other events including a talk and training courses. There are even some lunch clubs, include language learning.

Yes

MBDA has a great workplace culture and an excellent early careers programme. They invest in their people to develop them. While there are flaws in a few areas, such as occasional disagreements and some sub-optimal ways of working, these are not uncommon in a large company working on big projects. The company is very supportive, as is the college. The apprenticeship provides an excellent launching point for one's career.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Showcase yourself and what you've done. Look at the job advertisement and be ready to talk about what things you've done that will fit in with what MBDA is looking for in an apprentice. Extra-circular activities, particularly STEM ones, are great to talk about. Also, practice interviews and prepare answers for questions you think they'll ask.