Business administration apprentice Review

As a business apprentice, I have 5 different placements within my two years. I am currently in my second placement and am enjoying my time here a lot. The placements are varied to give you a sense of what each job role is like. Currently, I am helping a team out in which they send out bids and proposals. This role is extremely challenging due to the fact each document has to be in the same format as the others and can require an extensive amount of proofreading.

I have learnt a lot of different skills since being at Leonardo. It is really easy to get feedback on your work and to use the criticism as points for practice. I have been able to learn so many new IT skills and I am currently learning English into a depth I had never even thought of. However, we are treated like adults so if you want to learn new skills, you need to push for it and show youre willing as it is your career.

There have been many challenges, mostly surrounding the reduced work load for apprentices. However, all of the tasks I have been involved in are highly engaging as well as informative. It has allowed me to understand the business in many ways I had not yet seen. I am extremely proud of where I work and it took a long time to get here, so I cannot wait to see my programme right through until the end.

My programme is semi - structured. At times, things seem as if they could have been thought about more carefully. For example the training side in placements. I feel as if it would be beneficial for our training managers to sit with placement managers to inform them of the skills I will need to have learnt by the end and to help aid this training in any way. However, the programme is extremely good and I like how we are encouraged to get involved with trainee opportunities.

I have many avenues for an employer. I have my placement manager, my training manager and then obviously we have the SLT and the MD. All of which are really helpful and support where they can. My training manager is there for any concerns with the course or my placements. In which they have previously helped to sort out a issue I have had.

My college teacher is very busy with other apprentice years so sometimes it may feel as if we are not prioritized. It can sometimes be a struggle to get feedback on my work and to have guidance for the course. However, our teacher is really lovely and is nice and makes us feel comfortable. I just feel as if the course content would improve slightly so we can make the most out of it,

With our college sessions - I do not feel as if I have learnt anything to help me within my job. Everything I have learnt has come directly from the experience of moving around the business and meeting new people and new cultures. As someone who has previously done A-level business, the business admin course does not give me anything new to develop myself and my knowledge and skills. But, it has helped me to write great assignments.

Yes, there are quite a few things to get involved in at Leonardo. Firstly we have a on site team of trainees that raise money for local charities! This is great for meeting other trainees on different schemes and is a great way to network. Especially considering we get to create a great relationship with the MD of yeovil leonardo. Additionally, Leonardo are very big on STEM activities, with having a presence in Cool aero and flying start challenge. However, whilst training encourage this, the other departments around the business do not see the importance of this for trainees and can mean that trainees have to miss out to not upset their placements managers.

Yes

Leonardo is a well known business in the south west. It has an amazing apprenticeship scheme here and allows you to meet so many amazing people. It also has the ability for travel, which is really exciting. Not to forget to mention that at leonardo, it is a lifetime career. There are so many routes to take and roles to take part in. It is also great for making friends as I have been able to do.

Do not give up. I applied in 2020 and there were so many applicants that I did not get it. I developed myself and my interview technique and made sure I got some amazing grades. And I immediately got the apprenticeship second time around. I would also say, Leonardo is a very fast pace environment working to so many deadlines and working with important customers. I would say if you like that environment then its the place for you - but also i never liked fast pace environments and I love my job here. So you do get used to it and the sense of accomplishment when you have been part of something successful is amazing.