Maintenance Apprentice Engineer Review

I am a mature maintenance apprentice doing level 3. On Mondays, we do BTEC Level 3 whole day. Currently, we are doing Communications, PLC and Engineering Materials for BTEC on Mondays. Tues to Friday, we are in the workshop doing various activities from hand fitting to machining to electronic to electrical. Currently, I am doing mechanical rotation which will last for four weeks.

Yes I have learned a lot of new skills since I started the apprenticeship in Sept 2020. All the workshop rotations I have had so far were new to me ranging from hand fittings where I learned how to use press drill safely to taping and producing counterbore and countersink. I enjoyed the turning activities and learned how to turn diameter and produce tapers. I have learned how to weld for the first time and also wiring lighting systems whilst doing the electrical rotation and again soldering was new skills I learned whilst on the electronic rotation.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the activities I was involved in and did so far. I particularly enjoyed the electronic rotation where I found soldering and building a circuit was really very interesting. The team and the tutors are really very supportive and always available to help and the entire environment is really good and everyone looks after each other.

I think the programme is well organised and structured in my view but there's always a room for improvement. I guess this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, we have had to learn online for at least six weeks and when we got back to the workshop, we had to rush through some of the activities. I found four weeks for one workshop activity is too short as by the 4th week when you're confident and have developed the skills for the unit, it's time to rotate and move to another programme.

We are supported fully and the company is always there whenever we need help ranging from personal issues to difficulties in training/learning. The company do one to one reviews every three month in order to listen to us and our views on areas where we think improvements are needed.

I do receive all the support needed from my Tutors/Instructors whilst working towards my qualifications. The Tutors are easily approachable and always at hand to offer help and support when I need them. Even during a difficult period of the lockdown and working from home with young children, the Tutors were able to understand and accommodate some of my needs as working from home was a new experience to me.

Obviously coming from a Production floor at Mini Plant Oxford, with the training I am going through, I believe at the end of the training, I would be much better for the role I am meant to go to, which is maintenance and machine technician. As the world is changing and automation is taking over most of the manual jobs, the qualification I will gain at the end would have prepared me better for the technical challenges I will face when I get back to my area.

Yes there are a lot of extra-curricular activities to get involved in but last year and this year to date, due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic and government restrictions and lockdowns, we haven't had the opportunities to carry out extra-curricular activities. We did a week of outdoor activities with the apprentices from Swindon Plant at the beginning of our 1st year and that's it. But we have social forums where we chat and check on each other from.

Yes

BMW Group is a massive and multinational company operating all over the world and producing one of the best quality products within the automotive sectors. The company value its associates and put them in the heart of everything it's doing. The professionalism of its Associates, the working culture and the skills development programmes are amazing and everyone is given the opportunity to excel and develop their full potential.

It's very important to try to be yourself and honest as you will be caught when you pretend and project a different image of yourself. BMW Group value teamwork, so it's important to ensure you are a team player and able to contribute and make positive impact with your colleagues.