Advanced Business Apprentice Review

So I am currently coming to the end of my first placement (of which there is five 20 week long placements) and have been placed in the production delivery UK function. I have been working in a planning role where the team projects and monitors the stage of the build of the UK aircraft. My role is to collect the claim sheet from supervisors and input them into the MSP and create packs for different areas of the aircraft so where the build is at can be reviewed. I then attend the reviews and make any necessary changes.There is a lot of excel work and some MSP work involved. Another part of my role is to meet a colleague in another area to update another pack for that area, forecasting when the aircraft will be ready, I am trusted to be left to do this work without being micro-managed but I can also ask for help whenever I need it.

I would say my excel skills have improved massively, even though I used excel in my previous job, I use it on a daily basis here and I have input many formulas and look into why a formula doesn't work etc. It has really helped me understand how excel works rather than just inputting. Also, my confidence has grown a lot even in the first few months of working here. Working in a manufacturing area I go on to shop floor for the morning DSUMs and talk to people from all different areas which is really helping to build my network. I also attend a lot of meetings where managers are present and I am getting better at speaking in these meetings.

IT is a really enjoyable programme as all the people in the company and the other apprentices are really nice. I've met lots of new friends and we arrange to socialise outside of work regular. The work itself is enjoyable because although we are apprentices, we are treated as proper employees, not just someone to brew up! I have been given work that has been hard but doable and I never feel overloaded and can always ask for more work.

It is a really well structured programme (albeit a few issues in the first month with delays in some of our clearances). We have set 'off-the-job' days to attend the ASK (the training school) where we have classroom sessions on a topic that is on the apprenticeship programme - in these we often work in groups and have to present to each other which really helps our presenting skills. From these sessions we are set an assignment which we get 4 weeks to do. We have to manage our time as we need to spend 20% of our time 'off-the-job' learning, so we arrange with our managers blocked out time to do this.

There is loads of support on this scheme. We have our line manager at the ASK, a placement manager who looks after our placements, our skills coach, and our manager in our placement. I feel I can go to any of these if I had any issues. We also get buddied up with a second year apprentice who we can talk to about anything which is sometimes better than talking to a manager for general quick advice. There is also safeguarding officers who you can go to for anything which we were introduced to in our first week - I had to use them in the first week for an incident and they were really supportive and helpful. Also, hopefully this won't happen to me but I have spoken to other apprentices who weren't happy with their placements and they discussed this with their manager at the ASK and their placement manager and if it was decided it wasn't suitable for them they were moved promptly.

There is lots of support with the qualification. We get our off-the-job sessions lead by the skills coaches and then an assignment set. If we have any questions we can just call or email them for help and they get back to you really quickly. I wanted some data about the company for one of my assignments so I emailed my assessor to ask if she could help and she forwarded my request on and everything I had asked for was sent within a day. My manager in my placement is also happy for me to block out time in my diary for these assignments.

So far what we learn off-the-job has transferred to help us with our roles. The topics we have covered so far are the organisation, record and document production and policies and regulations. For all of these we write about the topics relating to our business so it really helps get the background knowledge of the company and how it works. I have learnt about the organisation chart so I know the chain of command, how our documents should be laid out and about the brand so when I am creating packs I know the proper way to display and present them, and I've learnt about HR policies I need to know like what to do if I am ill, GDPR, how to book holidays etc.

There is lots to get involved in - for national apprentice week there is lots going on like netball, football and baseball competitions as well as a bake sale and loads more you can get involved in. I think you can also make your own football team to play on Friday afternoons if you want to. You can join different networking events like Women in Business etc. We also arrange our own things to do like going on nights out, eating out and going to Manchester markets etc. You can be as involved as you want and they encourage you to be involved, but if you don't want to you don't have to either.

Yes

Having done a level 2 apprenticeship elsewhere this is far more organised and structured and you are rewarded with a good job at the end of the scheme. You are paid well as an apprentice with increments throughout the scheme subject to performance and you are treated as an employee rather than an apprentice (which is so much better as an older apprentice). I have met loads of new people and made some good friends and I enjoy the work I do which is really important. It is a really good company to work for and they really value their staff and invest in you.

Do it! It's a really good scheme with a really good company and job at the end of it! When doing your application really take time, I did mine over a couple of weeks so I made sure had everything I wanted down and get people to sense check it. When it comes to the online test practise beforehand and write down any maths formulas/ work out the best, quickest way for you to do it so you can get as high a mark as possible. On the assessment day be confident and positive, don't be afraid to speak up and do your research on the company - if you can try to speak to someone in the company to get advice on the different functions etc. and general tips for interview.