Techincal Engineering Apprentice Review

Responsibility for the Gap & Profile function. Collecting data through measurement and performing statistical data analysis to determine the risk of different areas being out of specification. Previously I spent 2 years working my way around the business on different placements, exploring manufacturing, quality, validation, testing etc. 2 days are also spent each week at college.

Before this apprenticeship, I had zero knowledge of how cars were designed, tested, and manufactured. I have now seen and exerienced first hand how a car is brought from an idea, where it is but a set of objectives, to a finished product that can make its way onto the market. Also developed a lot of software, machining, designing, engineering, and soft skills

My program, like all others, has it's fair share of faults. But despite these I have enjoyed my time throughly. With less than 6 months of my 4 year apprenticeship left, I can thouroughly reccomend it to anyone, and not just those who cannot or will not go to university.

The work-based side of my program is very well strucutred. My time has been filled to the brim with experiences and secondments that have developed me around the central objective of an end role. However the College side of the apprenticeship has not been so well run, as my year was the first the college provided on the new Apprenticeship Standard.

Support from the employer has been very good. My line manager is approachable, attentive, and happy to provide any support I think I need, as well as suggesting support to help develop me in ways I may not see. Alongside this there is also the support from the company HR, which has also been very good.

Support from our training provider is generally good. Each apprentice is given an apprentice coach that should follow them all the way through their apprenticeship. They act as central contact point with which either the work side or the training side of the apprenticeship can be discussed, and support provided.

The qualifications attached to the appprenticeship are good subjects subjects with interesting units, and are engineering topics, however they are not very closely linked to the role I am performing. Whilst they do probvide a good foundation moving forwards, they have little direct link to the role I perform in the workplace.

Extra-curricular activities are done on a department by department basis. Some departments are very good at this, organising social events and out of work meet-ups. However some departments do not put any effort into extra-cirricular activities. The college also provides numerous extra-cirricular activity, although you are unlikely to meet anyone you work with there.

Yes

The BMW Group will work you hard, but you will be a better person for it. If you show an interest, and prove that you are worth the investment, they will happily pay for training to help develop you and whatever role you are in. Mentourships are also avalible, apon request.

When applying for an apprenticeship, you are not necessarily showing what you already know, but rather what you are capable of. Interviews focus more on behavioural aspects of a candidate than technical, and so understanding where you're strengths and weaknesses are, how you work in a team, and how you react to new situations is more important than trying to learn a great deal about the subject you want to take.