Engineering Undergraduate Apprentice Review

I am an engineering undergraduate apprentice. 1 day a week I attend the local college and 4 days a week I work in the factory in 3 different areas - quality, design and manufacturing.

I have developed my confidence in communicating as I am forced out my comfort zone and encouraged to verbally communicate with others in the factory.

On the whole I enjoy my program. The jobs I perform in the factory are enjoyable and I feel I make a real difference within my team and my work is appreciated. However a few issues do arise on a daily basis with regards the standard of teaching and the way we are treated at the college.

The onsite part of the program is structured very well. We know where and when our placements begin months in advance so we can make changes if we wish (and it is agreed with the training school/department managers). The structure of the university course is generally good however is not well organized and there has been a lot of confusion as to when exams/ assignments are due.

I feel well supported by my employer with regards to my day-to-day job in the factory, when I have issues they are reviewed in face to face and team meetings. With regards to the learning side, I feel that it is often my word against the College on occasions when issues arise and the employer naturally takes the side of the college.

I often have the opportunity to ask for support from the college however negative feedback is not welcomed and. The structure of the university course is generally good however is not well organized and there has been a lot of confusion as to when exams/ assignments are due. I feel that it is often my word against the College on occasions when issues arise and the employer naturally takes the side of the college.

The course is generally not very applied to my work however does help me build my problem solving skills. The course will help my career in future as I will be a qualified engineer, this will help me move into higher up positions within the company and if applying for other roles in other businesses.

Airbus has a students union for their apprentices, graduates and interns. This is called Gen-A. Gen-A runs socials to Manchester Airport, Go-karting, Paint-balling and various other trips. They also run a weekly football club and monthly drinks in Chester to encourage everyone to socialize and meet new people they wouldn't meet otherwise in the factory.

Yes

There are very few companies that offer such high level apprenticeships. Airbus is known internationally and it's orders are growing. Airbus does a lot for the wider community and the technology is growing at an incredible speed. Getting an apprenticeship at Airbus looks incredible when applying for jobs and the experience is generally very enjoyable. I have made friends for life and am getting a good wage.

Look up the Airbus values! Airbus looks for a certain type of person in their interviews. Someone who is a team player, who is honest, who is reliable and shows integrity. Don't apply if you don't have a genuine interest in the company and aviation as you will be asked about this and your enthusiasm should shine through.