Software Engineer Review

An UNBELIEVABLE apprenticeship. I got paid £18,000 for my first year just for attending University for 5 days a week and they paid for the University so that saved me over £30,000 in student debt! Then my wage increases by thousands and thousands every year so by the fourth year I was on £24,000 to work 4 days a week with a day release at University. This got me the degree that I needed over the course of the apprenticeship programme while spending those other days at work to get both the academic and real world experience I needed to do my job!:)

I have learnt and experienced everything from programming, to software development, design, networking, hardware design, computer building, testing, virtualisation, simulation, modelling, systems development, accreditation documentation, scripting, and so much more!

I have met hundreds of new people, and I have worked all across the UK! With people from Frimley, Portsmouth, London, Filton, Barrow, Scotland, Wales and people from inside the UK Military, Veterans and Foreign Clients! There is so much life experience here!!

It is incredibly structured! The first year at University gave me the breathing space needed to learn the skills and get the experience in a tailored University course consisting of modules hand-picked by BAE Systems to give me the most specific tailored experience available for the role I would be fulfilling the years after. This meant I spent no time on "filler modules" that were there for the sake of it, and everything I learned mattered!

I recently had time off to support family members suffering with health problems in hospital. This was not weeks in advance, this was on the day something happened. I called my boss and he said I don't need to ever take it off as annual leave and he took it off as compassionate leave. This means I still get an extra holiday day and I was still paid, all while he was saying to take as much time as I needed and called and text me every day to check up on me!

North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT) is a horrendous establishment. This is the fault of the technical college and not BAE Systems, and providers will have changed to other sites due to this, so not a bother.

This course, and the modules taken at NESCOT. Are hand tailored by BAE. This gives you the exact experience you need for the role needed.

The company has an extremely strong social life. Each work site across the UK has separate extra-curricular clubs. Whether you like indoor or outdoor football, at lunch or after work, 5-a-side or 11-a-side. Or whether you like drinking clubs for the weekend for a scheme where you pay £1 a month for unlimited drinks and food at two work events in the summer and winter. This company rocks!

Yes

It is the most modern, compassionate company I have ever worked for. There is structure and efficiency and deadlines and pressure. But there is support in person and via paying for working out of your usual work site, for fuel and for your time spent driving. Bank holidays and annual leave included so there is plenty of balance for your mental wellbeing for your work/home balance and so much more!

BAE Systems UK is the second largest defence manufacturer in the world and the largest in Europe. We are also almost the sole supplier for defence of the UK. Learn about the Military and in particular the area you want to apply for, I.E. If you apply for a role in Naval Ships, learn about current ships and sub-surface vessels and those currently in development. Show your passion!:)