Project Management Apprentice Review

I am working along-side project managers actively engaging in complex engineering projects that are vital to the business and customers mission demands. I have responsibility over tasks and actions that are taken in the project and am completing time sensitive tasks in order to keep the projects on track, my opinions are always taken forward and considered.

I have been learning project management methods which I have been able to use in my personal life to manage tasks, but also I have been developing my soft skills alongside my job role like communication, team management and leadership. All these skills are vital to working within business but also can be transferred to personal life.

The programme has a fast pace which keeps me on my toes and interested. The subject material is relevant to the job role I am completing and therefore feels relevant as I am able to learn something at University and instantly identify it being used within the business. The work that I am completing is also very fast paced and is always changing

The programme is very well structured from the academic perspective as we are walked through all the individual aspects of project management making sure that the section are linked together. All this is placed on top of a strong foundation of project management that we study in the first term. At work we are placed in 5, 12 month long placements which give us the first hand experience from across the different business areas

The employer is set to develop us to a standard that they are willing to employ us by the time we finish the programme. In each of the placements different skills are learnt through the different experiences that each placement provides. The early careers team are dedicated to the apprentices and so provide support across each of the placements.

The training provider provides support through their teaching team and also in the background from their support services. Each lecturer is set to providing us with the tools and knowledge to succeed in the pieces of work that we complete. There is a strong link between them and the employer to allow the correct support to be transferred between the two.

The qualification will cement the knowledge that we have received from the apprenticeship. This along with the experience we have enables employers to see the ability of us to manage projects and enables us to have the confidence that we have the knowledge available to act in the appropriate ways

As part of the apprenticeship we are encouraged to take part in Stretch activities. These include attending STEM events and managing little projects that are extra to the specified job role. We also conduct a ball and multiple other social events outside of the office meaning the different apprenticeship schemes can mingle

Yes

BAE provides an opportunity for apprentices to receive fully recognised qualifications while being paid to complete real work. This provides apprentices with the motivation to achieve while on the scheme and BAE systems are behind us to support us through the schemes to then employ us in our desired role at the end of the schemes

Look carefully at the role you are applying for and if it is the right role for you then put your all into the application. It is a long process but it will be worth it in the end. If you aren't successful the first time round, try again.