Apprentice Maintenance Engineer Review

4 days a week we are in our job roll on site. For us this means that we are shadowing the maintenance teams in their various departments and learning as much as we can during our time with them. We are often directly involved with jobs as part of our course.

I have learnt a great deal about how the operating/control systems work and how they are used as valuable tools in fault diagnosis. I have learnt about the purpose of Preventative maintenance and how to identify faults before they happen. I have also learnt how to apply my existing mechanical knowledge to the equipment we work with.

I personally enjoy the program a lot. If you are approachable and make an effort to learn then the teams will have no problem involving you in their work. Of course, there are exceptions. When working with so many different teams over the course of even a month, some teams (2 or 3 people) are reluctant to give you the time.

Over the past year there have been a lot of changes e.g. changes in teachers and management, this meant that problems such as the training structure weren’t addressed in time. That said, I personally wasn’t effected by this however it was clear that a lot were and it seems problems are being ironed out.

You can receive a lot of support from a variety of people depending on the support you need. No placement wants to see you do badly and every manager wants you to enjoy your time spent here. Those that are struggling can seek support when necessary and help get them back on track.

Having an on-site training provider (BMET) is brilliant because we are able to meet teachers on non-college days. This allows us to double check our work and our understanding and also use the computers available to us. We don't abuse the privilege and we would ask our placement for release to go over to the training school.

Our current qualification (L3 btec) is related to our work and is linked well with the practical tasks completed in the workshop in the first year. In the second year, this trend continues and we are able to relate aspects of our qualification to our job role. After Btec we are able to take further education.

As Apprentices, we are able to represent BMW Group MINI at careers fair events. This allows us to go to schools in the Oxfordshire area and advertise our own experience of the apprenticeship. Other activities such as the mountain challenge have been done in previous years. Any ideas for extracurricular activities are welcomed.

Yes

I feel that BMW Group does have a great apprenticeship program and the employee benefits are substantially better than many other large companies offering the same style course, especially for apprentices. If you join BMW post-college or A Levels then the workload is manageable and the course is a great way to create a career and gain a lot of experience

I would advice people to apply for a job that they want to do, one thats gratifying. For me, that is here at BMW. You dont need experience to get on the apprenticeship program since thats the idea of 4 years of training, you just need to show interest and willingness to be here and perform your job.