Toolmaker Review

Currently at college studying until next year when we begin our work placement, once their i will be given my role and responsibilities as a toolmaker. The reason we do not have a work placement yet is that BMW wants to ensure the competence of those they employ for the company.

Had some previous skills from when i was last at college but learnt some new techniques and skills whilst expanding upon already existing skills. Some of these skills cover a broad use of workshop or electrical based skills which can be used in any engineering workplace with any company you may apply for.

Its a very enjoyable experience especially with all the practical skills you learn where you work on machines, rigs or electricals balanced with the learning experience of reports and cross referencing. This is an ideal programme for anyone who enjoys working with their hands or even for those who like to draw with regard to engineering drawing.

Its a lot better structured than previous years at the college mostly thanks to having an excellent support team that is BMW that pushes the collage to the appropriate expectations to ensure all their apprentices get the learning and qualifications that is expected of the apprentices, without this support some courses can be more difficult to get things done.

A reasonable amount, they provide all the resources or materials that are needed to ensure we can put in the full amount of effort into the coursework, these can include work laptops to help with working from home or even printing facilities at plant when the college printing service is process your print credits.

The training providers at the college provide us with as much information as possible, whilst at times it may not seem relevant however keep note of this information as it becomes extremely useful later on in the programme. The reason they provide this extra information is because of the interconnectivity of the various subjects within engineering.

It's hard to judge at this point in time as all our work is still college based and the qualification is still on going, the previous college experience and knowledge did help provide a head start on much of the knowledge which also help me assist my colleagues around me where they might be struggling.

One of the first activities BMW offers at the beginning of the apprenticeship is Skern lodge, in this experience the Skern lodge team offer many team building exercises with all the new plant apprentices to help create networks for whenever we made support in areas they excel in that you might not be as strong in. Other activities include tree planting and other environmental activities but also the mountain challenge which helps get everyone outdoors whilst still working hard.

Yes

BMW is by far one of the best and most organized engineering companies out there, they are constantly planning for future developments however they do this whilst maintaining a low carbon footprint. They are very sociable and eager to help one another out to achieve the same working standard within the industry.

Take you time with the interview process as this can be longer than you think and show a good understanding and eagerness of engineering. They will offer some materials to help make the interview process easier which is worth the read, this helps communicate what you should expect at the interview. Its also worth noting that this prgramme covers a lot of information and in addition to making sure all work is completed on time ensure you always have a backup copy of your work or proof that the work was handed in.