Aerospace Fitter Review

One day of college per week. On the job learning 4 days a week, we shadow different areas of the business in order to gain more knowledge. I get to work on various different engines and modules and I learn about the process behind building engines. Furthermore, I learn how the inspection process is carried out and how to inspect for any damages on parts of engines or modules. During college I do assignment work to improve my general understanding.

Yes I have learnt many new skills during my time at rolls Royce so far, some of them include practical and communication skills. I have improved on listening to instructions and following then and carrying that job out, as this is an important step in the manufacturing process. I have gained a skill of using many different machines and tools that I have not used before but they are used regularly in this line of work.

I enjoy the programme as I am learning on the job and I get to meet everyone in the factory and learn from them. I also get to see what goes into the building of an engine which I did not think I would. I have the opportunity to learn by hands on experience as for me it is the best way to learn as I am not good at sitting in a classroom a lot and learning that way.

It is organised well and everyone knows what is needed to be done in order to complete my apprenticeship course, sometimes things get in the way but it does not take long to get back on the right track. It could be improved but it works for me and it is hard for a well structured plan to always go smoothly, but rolls Royce are very good at facing issues head on and resolving them.

I receive enough support from my employer, I know where to go to seek any help or any advice, furthermore, on the shop floor there’s so many ex apprentices they are great to go to for help as they have been through the same as me and have similar experiences. Sometimes the support is not there but it is understandable as we are not top prority and we should learn to overcome things on our own or help from colleagues.

When working towards my qualifications my training provider is there and responds well to emails and texts etc however, I think they could know a bit more about our apprenticeship and what is required from us as sometimes they aren’t sure on what we are asking and get confused, also sometimes they aren’t sure what they are asking us to do. We get asked to do a lot of noting on what we do but we get asked to put this on so many different places which makes it confusing which I think makes it difficult for me and my training provider.

It does help as when I am doing the practical work I can relate my training to the physical work. However a lot of the things I’ve been taught I have not used when working on the job yet but this may come in time. Also some of the assignments I have found are completely unrelated to the actual job and I feel are not needed for us to carry out the role we are training for.

Yes there are many opportunities for us to participate in extra curricular activities, there are sports teams and there is an apprentice association where the apprentices and grads can go on days or nights out this can include food or paint balling or karting, this helps to get to know everyone outside of work and socialise. There are also always networking events that we can participate in if we want to and majority of the time it is our choice.

Yes

They are a great company to work for I have learnt a lot from them and as an apprentice I get to see what goes into building an engine and get involved in doing this whilst learning which is a great way to learn. Furthermore, they have a competitive pay and offer some very good company benefits. The help is always there if I need it whether that’s from my manager or people on the shop floor everyone is always happy to help.

Be yourself and be willing to work hard and take everything in it’s a very good experience and you will gain a lot. It is a lot of work on the apprenticeship but if you enjoy it and it is your passion you can do it, help is everywhere at rolls-Royce but they won’t help you if you don’t work and are not showing any interest, the way you present yourself is very important.