Technical Apprentice Review

my role as a technical apprentice can vary with the different placements I work in, at this stage in my apprenticeship I have worked in systems test, a fitting role on aircraft, support, design and quality. Although the majority of these roles are desk based I have still had the opportunity to see the product and learn about the manufacturing process.

I have learnt and developed many skills since starting my apprenticeship which include teamwork, communication, IT skills and also some more specific skills such as fitting, electrical, machining, fabrication, CAD and various other skills related to engineering tasks. I have developed different skills in each placement I have worked in which gives me a good range of skills to finish my apprenticeship with.

I enjoy my apprenticeship a lot because I get to learn new things while I come to work and there is a lot of time and money invested into the apprentices which makes the scheme enjoyable and helps me to develop as an engineer which will benefit me in the future

The programme is well structured and is clearly set out however it has recently become less organised due to changes to government requirements, the communication between apprentices and the early careers team has deteriorated in the past year due to staff leaving but I think this is beginning to return as the new staff get to know everyone

There is a lot of support for apprentices and a lot of opportunities are provided to help develop you as a person and an engineer, the company also provides services such as a trade union, a credit union and a 24/7 employee assistance program which can help you to deal with any problems you may have either at work or at home

The college help us to work towards our qualifications with a college day dedicated to this every week, the lessons are taught by very experienced teachers who are always happy to help and are very knowledgeable about their subject and also provide after hours lessons to help with anything you have been struggling with.

I think this qualification helps with my apprenticeship because the knowledge I gain at college is relevant to my role and is transferable to my job. It also helps me to work towards my NVQ qualification as the knowledge is necessary to help me pass this. I think the NVQ and my role at work also helps to learn knowledge I will need for my college qualification so between the two I can develop a good understanding of engineering subjects.

There are many different activities to get involved with at work, some are simple such as a football or netball team or go karting trips but some are more beneficial for example in one of the placements I have worked in we did a charity event where we ran a fair at lunch time with a range of different games and a bake sale which raised around £400. There are also opportunities for things like a german exchange with airbus apprentices and princes trust scheme

Yes

I would recommend BAE to a friend because I think they are a great employer and I find the work is very interesting. I think that they provide opportunities that aren't provided by most employers and the range of jobs and departments that you can work in means there is plenty of choice to find something you like.

I would say if you are going to apply for BAE you should be interested in engineering and the work we do because some apprentices that have worked here haven't enjoyed it as it wasn't what they thought it was but if you are interested and willing to learn then you will make massive improvements by completing the apprenticeship scheme at BAE.