Design and Development Engineering Apprentice Review

I show up to work and sit at my desk. Occasionally I am asked to have a look at something, for example using a microcontroller to generate a digital signal. By the time I am done and present what I have done I am either told that what I have done is now redundant or that it has already been done and I didn't need to do it.

No. Neither on my university course nor my in my workplace have I learned anything which I didn't really know. I have been using the time to develop skills which I am interested in but these are not related to what I am asked to do in my role. I have however learned how to deal with toxic corporate environments.

I don't enjoy my programme, I stay on it because I need a degree to get my foot in the door with most job applications, and also purely as a source of income. The programme has however taught me that the area I am working in is not for me.

Very poorly organised. I have not seen my apprentice sponsor in the past 6 months and we found out recently 3 years in, that we have not been given most of the admin and documentation required to properly meet apprenticeship standards. In addition there is no system in place to ensure we are meeting targets or to help us learn.

Essentially none. Most of the work required from me is technical as this is the sort of work which is required to meet my apprentice standards, however most of the existing teams are non-technical as TfL does not actually really make anything. Therefore the work I am given is purely for the sake of giving me something technical to do, and the technical knowledge, if there is any, of the team members is too outdated to be relevant to modern techniques of digital development.

The work load at my training provider feels to be at a level far below my previous qualifications or at least previous learning levels, and therefore I do not feel the need to as for help. From what I have observed from others who are provided with support, this is at an acceptable level.

I have no encountered any piece of work in my professional role which correlates to what I am learning in University. And when I say that I am not exaggerating, I have yet to find a single piece of information which I picked up at university which I can apply in my day to day role.

Not really. There are occasional forums which attempt to showcase other parts of the business but these are incredibly infrequent and are lacking in quality and enthusiasm. I have not been invited to any social or team event at work since the second month of my employment, and even that was only by accident.

No

For the reasons stated above. I find there to be a lack of enthusiasm and organisation to actually care for a apprentice and ensure their development meets the required standards. I may recommend the company s a good place to end a career due to the low work ethic and high pensions, but other than that no.

I would advice people to consider other options. I think TfL perhaps offers a good opportunity to get a well known company on your CV, but unless the person is driven enough to make the most of the time by themselves and use the copious spare time they'll have to learn some actually useful skills under their own intuition, I think they could find a more nurturing environment.