Engineering Apprentice Review

transferring information from shared websites to MOD based share points and distributing it. drafting technical documentations and technical presentations. emailing contractors for specific information. carrying out compliance checks for equipment.

technical mathematics based knowledge. knowledge of excel and other Microsoft based applications. project management skills. needs for regulations and legislations and about specific ones to my role.

really enjoy be allowed to travel to other stations to see equipment. it would be nice to see some more equipment on site, in office to make me feel more connected to the equipment and remind us that we have a vital output.

the 1st year was well organised. 2nd year was poor compared to the first year, from not having an assessor and not getting any feedback from my performance pack (NVQ Work) for 4 months. 3rd year is easier than 2nd, now i better udnderstand my role.

reviews every 6 weeks. some delayed etc. NVQ assessors have improved, last year they were poor, not marking work. raising this with employer who didnt escalate it. 1to1s have been suggested, i havnt had one set up. but i can see them whenever i need.

adequate training. made hard during pandemic. but good resources online, such as powerpoints and youtube links.

i think my engineering qualifications provide me with a good basis to build on. they wont directly be used, however they put things into perspective for me. for example, calculating electrical circuits and calculating stress in beams isnt applicable to my job role in supporting technical documents for an engineer.

plenty of clubs and sessions ran at work. socials occur on special occasions and its great to network with a variety of people. it would be nice to hear about volunteering opportunites, as i would love to do some, something different to volunteering at a school. i have been able to volunteer at the helicopter museum which increased my knowledge on air platforms more than 3 days in the office wouldve.

Yes

seeing platforms and working first hand with them is amazing. you cant do it anywhere else. there are plenty of routes to go down at DE&S, whether it is with submarines or fast jets. ive had the privileged of working in land, maritime and now air supporting front line and working on future projects.

if you're having an interview, know the basics of the place you will be working, what they do etc. understand the things that they will ask you in the interview, read the emails! if you dont get it first time, dont worry. i went to college for a year to do a level 2 eng course then applied and got in.