Assistant Liaison Engineering Review

My day consists mainly of answering various engineering queries which change day by day. This involves talking to different teams, going on board ship looking at the issue and finding a safe and functional solution.

Built up a network with different individuals and departments as well as utilising SQEP of others. Gained a much greater understanding of the processes used for getting a job done, as well as continuously developing a greater wealth of engineering knowledge.

Enjoyable and challenging role, with opportunity to progress as well. Very glad I applied for and undertook this apprenticeship.

Good structure for our scheme, with split between college and work placements. The placement rotations are roughly scheduled for every 4 months but there is flexibility where required.

Good level of support, good communication with my line manager who I see/speak to regularly and is fully engaged in my progression and provides support where needed. It can occasionally be more difficult to get time from training manager for questions/help due to the number of apprentices however there is usually someone in early careers who is able to help.

When working on my qualifications there were teachers at our college who went above and beyond to aid us in working towards our qualifications. They had a wealth of knowledge that was clear when explaining processes/concept to us. They were great at responding to additional questions and provided further support when needed. The college and company's early careers department did not have the best line of communication however which resulted in some things only getting to college/work through word of mouth from apprentices. There were also some staffing issues during our time at college resulting in losing some time and having to go through other material at a faster pace to make up for this. Support for our NVQ is great, with our company training assessor ensuring we are progressing with our NVQ and is readily available to go through evidence and attend observations.

A fair bit of the content is useful as a background to then apply to the work environment however this depends on your role. For example, knowing about materials and their properties, and understanding electrical circuits are both useful topics. It is also of interesting to learn from an engineering mindset.

There are lots of STEM & Stretch assignments that you can volunteer for. There are additionally early careers events which gives apprentices/grads to look around at different potential placements and talk to people in those roles to get ideas of where they would like to go. In covid this has been reduced there are some online sessions with placements to give new apprentices an idea of where they may like to go. There are less official social activities however there are numerous activities arranged by apprentices, including football and nights out.

Yes

There have been numerous opportunities throughout this apprenticeship, with managers that are really invested in apprentices taking time to develop them providing opportunity to grow. You are given real responsibility and feel like you are a part of the team. It is a good starting salary especially in contrast to going to uni, but additionally you don't need to be fresh out of college, so have not left it too late if you wanted to get into engineering years after formal education.

You don't have to know everything but showing a keen interest and want to learn is a great attitude that will serve you well. Take some time to have a look at the company and what they do in the sector you are applying for, having a bit of background knowledge will show that you have researched this role.