Degree Apprentice (Mechanical) Review

The apprenticeship involves attending college 1 day a week all the way through studying HNC and HND, then later to complete a Bachelors Degree. In the first year of the apprenticeship, the other 4 days a week were spent at Yeovil college doing a level 2 performing engineering operations qualification doing practical activities such as sheet metal fabrication and composite manufacture. From the second year onwards, the days not spent at college are spent on site at Leonardo in 6 month placements in different areas of the company to get a good overview of what the company does, how it operates, and to get an idea of which areas you would be best suited for a permanent job at the end of the apprenticeship.

• time management • report writing • teamwork/communication • CAD design using CATIA • technical knowledge in a range of areas relevant to helicopter manufacture

I thoroughly enjoy learning about how helicopters operate and how they are manufactured and repaired, and being able to apply this knowledge to real engineering problems is good. The workload is high with working in placements as well as working on assignments for college, as the 1 day a week for college is just teaching, so the assignments have to be completed outside of work and college hours.

The apprenticeship induction was well organised, and gave a good introduction into how the programme works and what is involved. Regular meetings with managers, mentors, and supervisors ensure that any issues are caught early and rectified as quickly as possible. Training is provided both within placements for specific activities, and also to all apprentices for more general requirements. The training department seems generally well organised although the reasons for any delays are not readily communicated.

Every apprentice is allocated a buddy (another apprentice further through the scheme), and a mentor (an experienced employee), as well as an apprentice manager, placement supervisor, and NVQ assessor. This results in a range of people who are easily approachable and willing to try and help resolve issues.

The lecturers at Yeovil college are approachable and willing to assist with any questions or to recap any topics not understood in lectures. The NVQ is well organised with assessors able to provide individual advice to apprentices, and to advise which criteria can be met by different jobs undertaken by the apprentice.

The level 2 PEO qualification provides an excellent appreciation of how the sheet metal, composite, and electrical systems are manufactured allowing a better understanding of how the designs are constrained by the manufacturing processes. Many of the components on aircraft are machined, however the PEO does not cover any machining operations. The HNC and HND units provide an excellent overview of how the different systems on the aircraft work and how they interact which helps with understanding the context of real engineering problems.

AWASA (AgustaWestland Apprentice & Student Association) runs social activities and networking events as well as STEM activities with local schools. These activities have mostly been put on hold due to the pandemic, although some STEM and networking activities have been able to run remotely. A large proportion of free time is taken up by college work towards the end of each semester, however in the summer when college is closed, there is more time available as there are no assignments needing to be written.

Yes

I would recommend Leonardo as the company provides good training schemes for a wide variety of jobs within the business. I would only recommend a degree apprenticeship to someone with good time management and determination as the workload is high and requires a disciplined personality.

Take time to learn about the company and the details of the course to ensure you know what you are signing up to.