Technical Apprentice Review

I have been learning skills on the Assembly line and helping to build the cars. I have been involved in projects in different departments around the company. I attend college 1 day a week (this is my second year out of 2). In my first year I attended college 4 days a week and work 1 day a week.

Yes I have definitely learnt lots of new skills. I have been able to develop my practical ability, and use it in real life manufacturing activities. We do not just work on practice pieces, we work on the actual cars that are going out to customers. That has probably been the best and most exciting thing about the apprenticeship.

I do enjoy the programme, and being around the cars each day has been a great experience, and seeing how the company works. As an apprentice you definitely get more opportunities to experience different departments, but only if you push for this. If you make it clear you want to learn more, the company will open doors for you. The college side has not been the best in my opinion, I haven't felt like I have learnt anything from college. I really enjoy the practical work at college, but the theory not so much.

I do not consider the programme to be particularly well organised or structured. I has been quite easy to go missing within the company, especially if staff levels are struggling and they need your help to cover. There is often miscommunication, and also miscommunication between college and work. Some people will be chosen for projects while others seem forgotten.

I have not really had any support from my employer. I haven't struggled while at work, and have really done well learning and becoming a respected member of their staff. However, this means that support and further opportunities haven't really come my way. There is not a regular catch up or meeting for apprentices with management. You only get this is you push for it.

I really like my college lecturers, they work hard to help us whenever they can. Sometimes it is difficult to get help with work, and most of my assignment work has been completed using the internet and my own research. I haven't felt like I have really learnt anything while being at college.

I feel like most of what I have learnt throughout my apprenticeship towards my role at Rolls-Royce, has come from working at Rolls-Royce. The college work hasn't really been relevant to my role and activities at work. Some things have carried over, but really not much. I have enjoyed experiencing things to do with engineering nevertheless.

I am not aware of any extra curricular activities to get involved in at work. I have twice been chosen to participate in question and answer sessions with the PR department, which could be classed as networking. But I was selected for this, it was not something that anyone could just choose to be involved in. These opportunities are there though, and I suppose if you are keen you could ask managers and other members of staff to involve you.

Yes

I do really enjoy working at Rolls-Royce. It is an exciting company with lots of opportunity. I do feel like I could have got a lot more out of my apprenticeship though, and the education side of things has possibly let it down somewhat. I am very pleased with the experience and knowledge I now have of the cars we build and how we build them, and will definitely be keen to stay within the company and progress even further now that I have a better idea of how things operate within the company.

To be successful you must be proactive. The company will give you many opportunities but you must seek them yourself. Speak to as many different people as possible, as very often opportunities do come from 'who you know, not what you know'. It might seem sometimes as though you haven't been noticed, but if you work hard and communicate well, you will definitely have been noticed!