Motor Vehicle Technician Review

My role consists of reworking cars which have had a production fault. This can stem from basic fluid refills to advanced electrical issues and reprogramming of cars. The area of rework has 5 main areas. Fluid rework, mechanical rework, electrical rework (pre F1), electrical rework (post F2) and also trim rework. My daily tasks include working along side the team of skilled reworkers helping to maintain BMW production quality standards. Depending on the area you're working in you can expect certain jobs. Mechanical rework can see you doing basic wheel changes to whole engine changes and everything inbetween. Electrical could be a simple reprogram or a whole wiring harness change. So although you're working on similar vehicles, there are always new problems which come up which make for an interesting work environment permitting you have a real interest in automotive rectification and diagnosis.

During my time at BMW I work with such a large amount of people and new faces appear almost every day. Just being in the job with such a large workforce, it's almost hard not to improve upon basic communication skills. Working for such a large company means that if you want training which is relevant to your career path you should ask for it and you'll likely receive. A skill which is good both in and outside the apprenticeship is that my ability to self manage my own time has improved and my critical thought process has also developed along side.

I do enjoy my work. I love working along side experienced rectifiers and master technicians who are amicable and are happy to teach. The learning never seems to stop and people are generally friendly. With age in the plant comes new changes to the vehicles with new models and facelifts being unveiled for production, which means a new vehicle which is similar yet different to work on. The company focuses on getting things right first time and to avoid mistakes if they're at all avoidable which they mostly follow through on.

I can only speak on my experience of the areas I've worked in, however the plant is very large and I'm sure varies from area to area. Initially I felt that my program was ill thought out (although this is the first time BMW Plant Oxford have ran my apprenticeship in over 15 years) with minimal structure and it required lots of back and forth but now the creases have been ironed out and organisation is good with a well thought out plan and exciting future prospects for training and various placements.

Any support you need from the employer i.e management etc will generally be given, depending on the circumstance and if you need extra help with learning. However I'd like some more constructive criticism so I can be a better apprentice in general and excel. From the day to day people you work with however, the support is generally really good as the team will try and support your learning and will generally answer your questions with enthusiasm and will go above and beyond to help your comprehension of the subject. They seem to appreciate the hard work you put in to your learning whilst also giving you constructive criticism which really brings the score up for the support.

The training provider Babcock have really gone above and beyond in my experience as any issues with essential training placements have been dealt with swiftly. Furthermore I'm always given the information necessary, been given my own tablet in order to log my work and given feedback on where I need to improve and also on how I can do better. During my training blocks at the BMW Academy the tutors there are always willing to help answer your questions and they have an enthusiasm for teaching which always helps when you're in a learning environment. The general attitude towards teaching is good as they will try and do there best to make sure you succeed.

The training provided from Babcock directly relates to my role and allows me understand the working of the components I'm changing and why. The learning I receive also helps me daily as I can talk about technical concepts and components to help further my understanding and aid when talking through a technical problem with the techs I work with. After every training block from the academy I put what I know to the test on the vehicles I work on and I feel I know more and more about the cars which increases my competence.

The BMW apprentices seem to regularly have extra curricular activities such as going to schools and colleges to promote their apprenticeship. The plant also hosts several voluntary training programs which you can be put on if you ask. Besides that the company have their own football teams and also partake in the local carnival which happens in Oxford every year by designing a carnival car. However I'd like to see more networking events for apprentices outside of their apprenticeships so they can make more connections within the industry. At the beginning of my program ALL the BMW group apprentices take a trip to Devon where you get to meet all the other apprentices of your year. This was a nice icebreaker for everyone, as soon afterwards everyone knew each other

Yes

Despite the initial short comings from the employer, these have largely been addressed and I now have a well structured exciting plan. When you're determined to do well and excel then a large company like BMW can CERTAINLY help you, given that you have the right attitude. If you have an enthusiasm to learn then there's always opportunities with ever evolving vehicles and new technology.

Tips for applying to BMW? BMW love a team player. If you done anything that you need 2 or more people for (e.g. playing sports, in a band, hobbies) then put that in your application and make sure you're prepared to talk about it. Also have an enthusiasm for your subject area be it engineering, maintenance, motor vehicle etc. The enthusiasm is what will make you shine from other candidates and get the interviewers thinking about you after your interview. Some people would recommend learning information such as the origin of BMW, production dates etc. I wouldn't say DON'T learn them, but I wouldn't sweat it learning in-depth history. They're going to hire you based on your ability, enthusiasm and persona, not your ability to remember obscure history of the company.