Apprentice Software Engineer Review

For two days a week I am out of office at university; I attend lectures and practical lab sessions with my cohort of apprentices alongside other normal students. For the other 3 days I work in my placement - a team within the engineering business. The placements vary in how much and how interesting the work is but essentially I work on tasks allocated by my placement manager whom is a full-time employee in the team. These tasks provide evidence for a Level 4 Diploma which we also complete. University assignments and revision are worked on at home.

Through the university course I have learnt some new skills however most learning has been a development of previously existing knowledge. I have learnt a lot from my peers also on the apprenticeship and value their support. Some employees on placements are helpful but this really depends on which team you are put in.

I enjoy activities with all other apprentices and am greatly appreciative of the funded qualifications. However, I do not enjoy the daily routine and feel as though there should be more training on placements to help apprentices feel more comfortable. I often feel as though apprentices are treated considerably different to full-time employees in terms of trust and respect, and yet expected to work with the same discipline and structure. The work is very intense and a greater focus is placed on task completion as opposed to learning. The office environment is quite dull and there is a severe lack of diversity in Software teams.

The course has a clear structure in terms of university modules and scheme length. The placements are also set in advance so that we know our exit role and can prepare. The work within placements is not well organised or structured- the team's workload and priorities determine the work we are set and this does not always align with the Level 4 units we have to provide evidence for. Work for apprentices does not seem thought out or particularly planned.

The employer is good when supporting sickness or special circumstances. There is also support in place for good health and well-being. There is not a lot of support in the everyday running of the apprenticeship. The management team are understaffed and this means a severe lack of support for the apprentices; we rarely have any contact with our support team and they are mostly unavailable. In placements, the engineer providing work has their own tasks to be getting on with and therefore lacks the time to support apprentices.

Our course leader at university is great at providing us with support. Many lecturers will respond quickly to emails and offer drop-in sessions if more help is required. In regards to the Level 4 Diploma, we receive some support however, due to the understaffing of the assessor team, work is not marked on time and therefore we are put under pressure to rush and resubmit evidence. Measures have been put in place to hopefully improve this aspect of the scheme.

Placement work is often well above the level being taught at University and so I feel as though the qualification doesn't really help with my role at work. I often think the work we are given is too advanced and we should instead be given work more in line with modules we learn at university to help practise and hone our skills. The Level 4 Diploma is treated almost as 'a means to an end' and the relevance is not properly explained by the employer. The way it is assessed is messy and time-consuming; this adds to an already stressful workload .

There are not many extra-curricular activities at work (I can only think of men's football run by apprentices). It seems to me as though the average demographic of full-time employees are not interested in extra-curricular activities. Lunchtime talks are held quite often but these are still entirely focused on work topics and don't involve much social interaction.

Yes

Even though many employees have a negative attitude, the salary is fantastic and the job is very secure and stable. In the company it is common to receive a pay rise each year and measures are in place for continuous personal development and career progression. The opportunity for a fully funded degree without being contracted to a particular role or company is very rare.

Practice aptitude tests and mock interviews. In order to have your application looked at, you must pass the online tests and so practicing them is very important. Make sure your qualifications are clear on your application. Try to include previous paid and/or unpaid work experience as well as volunteering activities on the application as well.