Engineering Undergraduate Apprentice Review

I am an undergraduate Apprentice within Airbus UK, this entitles me going to university one day a week to attain my degree. My degree is in Aeronautical Engineering and manufacturing and is awarded by Swansea University. The rest of the week I work on site at Airbus Broughton. Where I am on rotation around the factory to see various roles within the company.

Throughout my placement rotations I have picked up a lot of new skills and knowledge. This ranges from process knowledge to how the plane wings are structured. I have become very familiar with the SAP systems used within Airbus, I can navigate my way around a drawing cascade and I am aware of numerous processes that need to be followed in order to created a change. I have dramatically developed my professional (and personal) network through the work i have been involved in.

My program is very full on an hard work but I am glad I took this route. Being able to study and work at the same time provides motivation throughout the course. You also become very aware of the working word, being on the front line of production. So yes, I enjoy my program.

Certain aspects of my programme are very well organized, such as the placement rotations and the training courses we have to attend. but other aspects such as the degree side are less organized. things like submission dates and exam dates are very fluid, it would be more beneficial if we were given a structured timetable. because this timetable is so flexible the deadlines tend to bunch up and clash.

Throughout my placements so far, all my placement managers have been very supportive. The teams have also been very keen to show me the work that goes on within the department and aid me in any work I need. A lot of people on site that we work with have gone through a similar process so they are happy to help and support when needed. My EC managers are also very keen to support where they can.

Within NVQ we have monthly meetings with our assessors to ensure we meet 'quality gates'. These gates are essentially to ensure we are working on track. The support within University is very varied depending on the work. some work is very independent whereas some assignments we can be given more information.

Depending on my placement, the way in which I can apply my degree varies. Some of the work I will be doing will have nothing to do with my degree whereas other work requires background knowledge that I have from Uni. Some work we complete will also be covered in our final year of our degree.

Within Airbus, there is something called Gen - A, this is how all apprentices, graduates and interns organize things. Football, walks, socials and charity events have all been organized by Gen- A. I am currently in the process of finding interest for a Netball/ Basketball Team. In first year, apprentices from multiple sites (Broughton, Filton, Germany and France) meet at on a outward bound week.

Yes

Airbus offers great opportunities, professionally and personally. The careers available in Airbus are vast, and there is no limit to where your hard work can take you. Additionally, it isn't just about engineering, there are roles within procurement, supply chain, business, HR etc. This role has already pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to kickstart my career.

To be yourself, be confident and don't panic if you don't know something. A lot of the time the employers want someone who can work well within their teams and can cope in stressful situations. It is all about your potential and how you can cope, not about where you are now.