Project Controller Review

On a day to day basis, my role is very varied but involves a lot of Project Control work, applying Earned Value Management calculations to raw data and to turn data into information, supporting the work towards meeting customer requirements that are placed on us as a project team, but also supporting various project management activities such as risk management, stakeholder management, dependencies management, change control/management, and several stretch activities to ensure my personal and professional development.

From my placements to date, I've definitely learnt several new skills, both on a personal level and a professional level specifically in the Project Management field. These are skills such as Risk Management, Earned Value Management, Schedule Management, Estimating, and Stakeholder management. On more of a personal level, I've developed my time management skills to ensure I'm able to complete all my work or escalate to my manager, and also my communications skills, including how to communicate (via what medium and appropriate language) and how often.

I really enjoy the programme that I'm currently on; the theoretical learning from a university perspective works really well alongside the practical learning that is done in the office. Additionally, the additional learning and development that is a result of stretch assignments, as well as the networking available through both stretch assignments and out of work activities like being involved in the recruitment days all add to the enjoyment of the programme for me.

From a structure perspective, I think the programme is very well structured. There are 5 placements, each being 12 months, across the duration on the programme, and this is known about up front before starting the scheme. Also, secondment opportunities are common and a lot of information is available regarding these, helping to keep it structured. For me, the structure has been slightly impacted due to the pandemic, but I believe this to be as a result of a lack of face to face meeting, which nothing can be done about.

From an employer perspective, I believe I get a lot of support. This is due to regular meetings with the apprenticeship team (at least every 12 weeks) as well as inputs into where I would like to go next regarding placements and my development. From a line manager perspective once in role, I feel very supported, having multiple meetings per week for the workload and for my development also. I feel less supported regarding creating my evidence log as although we are given briefs to explain what is expected of us and how to do them, however it has been difficult to find the time to complete.

From a training provider perspective, I feel relatively supported regarding the lessons, teachings and help with the assignments, however sometimes it can be confusing and frustrating due to one tutor giving a brief on an assignment, another tutor giving a different perspective, and then some tutors have changed their minds on what they are looking for a few months after giving us their original views. There also does not seem to be a great understanding between the training provider and the employer given how much time we have to commit to the job, to the degree/learning, to additional apprenticeship deadlines, and then having time to yourself.

The qualification that I am working towards through the training provider is definitely helping me to perform better in the roles I am in and have previously completed - the foundational understanding that it gives me, albeit it rather generic that specifically related to my company, is a great starting point. Obviously the toolsets and processed used by the employer are different and more complicated than the generic processes from bodies like the APM, however this is expected.

There are many extra-curricular activities to get involved in at work; before the lockdown and working from home, there were many sporting events such as 5 a side and 11 a side football matches, and many social activities more localised in the team such as birthday events and nights out etc. Since the pandemic, these have ceased, however there are still networking evens available online, and many team socials have now moved onto other platforms such as zoom.

Yes

I would recommend BAE Systems to a friend because of the vast amount of opportunities available within the company, be this various roles to get involved or learn about something of particular interest, to learn about Project Management and how it is applied to complex projects, and to help develop my skills, knowledge and behaviours that relate to my professional development. The products are also very interesting from a company wide perspective, and there are many stretch projects and assignments to get involved in that vary to the scope of work of the day job.

For those applying to BAE Systems, the first piece of advice I would give is to research the company and learn what it is about, what it does, the products, the latest news etc. so that you are familiar with what BAE Systems does. I would then recommend researching the scheme that they are planning to apply o, again to get all the information and ensure they fully understand what it involves as it can be a big commitment. Finally, I would advise them to understand their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as their development hopes for the future so that they know what they want for themselves.