Advanced Apprentice Review

I work in the manufacturing workshop responsible for assembling and fitting internal and external trim components. A normal day consists of attending a morning brief, where any updates are passed on from the group leaders, then starting my work activity. My role in manufacturing consists of sub-assembling bumpers and fitting them to the vehicle along with claddings, spoilers and internal trim.

I have learnt the basics of how a car works and how to remove/install various automotive components. I am now able to carry out a basic service and maintenance on my own vehicle. My work role isn't relevant to the qualification I will receive from the apprenticeship (manufacturing engineering), however the college work was useful and helped me to understand the basics of automotive engineering. There are also a lot of online e-learning courses which are available to complete at work, which help to improve knowledge on areas of the business that I may not normally be exposed to, such as electric vehicle awareness.

The first year of my programme was spent at college, which I did not enjoy as we were treated like children rather than adults. The college was very unorganised and did not train us effectively. From the second year onwards, we are based mainly at work, which is more enjoyable than college as I am able to be more 'hands-on'. There has been times where I have not had anything to do (even after asking for work) which can make the days quite difficult, but when I am kept busy, I really enjoy the role!

In my experience, the programme is not very well organised/structured. There is no set structure for each department to follow so each apprentice will have a different experience. When I arrived at work the management team didn't have a plan for me, so I was just told to shadow another employee for a few months. However I know of other apprentices who have a set training plan to follow. The college is very unorganised, there has been numerous occasions where we have not had lecturers for lessons therefore received no support for a few of our units!

My direct manager is usually supportive and will listen to my concerns, however there has been a few times where I have asked for support in relation to a problem and I have not received any help as they were too busy. The HR team are quite helpful with general employee queries (e.g. pay, holiday etc), however in regards to anything else they will usually just refer you to the apprentice team. I have contacted the apprentice team a few times but had to chase them up for a response, so it can be quite difficult to access the support when you really need it.

My training provider comes across as unsupportive and unhelpful. There have been numerous times where we have not had a lecturer, so we have had to teach ourselves the subject (for example, maths) which affected our overall grade. Most of my class only achieved a 'pass' grade due to this, rather than a distinction. I have also tried to contact my training provider via email about this issue and I have never once received a response. It is best to go and speak face-to-face with the staff, however this is difficult when I am only attending college once a week.

Although my qualification is useful, it is not relevant to my work role. We spent time learning how to strip/rebuild engines and also did milling, turning, welding at college however we do not do any of these activities in my work department. Other units such as maths, electrical principles and engineering drawing are also not relevant. The only subject that relates to my work role directly was the Business Improvement Techniques unit, where we learnt about problem solving and continuous improvement.

We recieve a £200 voucher each year to spend on learning something new, known as the employee learning scheme. We are also able to join Team Improvement Circles where a group of people focus on solving problems and improving a certain area or process. There is an e-learning portal where we are able to view and complete courses to improve our knowledge of the company and other departments.

Yes

I would recommend JLR to a friend as the salary and pension scheme is good. Although the apprenticeship programme could be better, it is worth doing as the job role at the end is a great start to your career, and apprentices get a lot of recognition in the business.

Ask lots of questions during the assessment day, make sure the role is right for you. Try to stay calm during the interview and answer honestly, providing recent examples of any relevant experience you have. If you get the chance to speak to current apprentices, ask them lots of questions as they have direct experience of the process!