Engineering Technician Apprentice Review

I'm currently in the third year of my apprenticeship. This year involves rotating placements in different areas of the business every 3 months (such as production, maintenance, planning etc). This gives me a very good understanding of the different roles involved in the company and a working experience of what my role is going to be at the end of the apprenticeship. I'm also just about to go into my final placement which is the area that I'll be working in after my apprenticeship. I'm going to be in the placement for about 18 months which would give me a deep and good understanding into the role before i finish my apprenticeship.

With the opportunity to work in different areas of the business, I have been able to learn new skills relating to the job roles that I've worked in. Some of this includes use of drawing and simulation software such as Solid works and much more. I have also grown in my confidence around the workplace due to being able to expand my network.

I really do enjoy my programme, I appreciate the fact that BMW are always looking for ways to improve their apprentices through different training and experiences such as Skern Lodge which is a team building exercise done at the start of the year to meet other apprentices. There are also other opportunities within work to work with different apprentices and associates across different plants and departments.

The programme is well organised. The training provider has been helpful when in need of extra help/support. On a weekly basis, we have meetings with our Apprentice Manager who makes sure we are all working effectively both at work and at our training provider to ensure we get the best out of our apprenticeship.

My employer (BMW) provides a lot of support to us as apprentices. They have provided Laptops for us to use which helps at work and at our college as well. We have reviews and meetings on a weekly basis with our Apprentice Manager to discuss and review our progress at work and college which helps to support our apprenticeship.

The training provider provides sufficient support when working towards our qualifications. They provide extra support sessions for subjects when in need. There is also a designated training tutor that we have reviews with when in college to ensure we are working well in college and are improving when it comes to our qualifications.

What we learn through our qualification helps me to understand my working environment on a day-to-day basis. The theory and process of training helps me to understand the working processes and makes me more confident about my role in the company and understand the industry of engineering.

At work there are other activities/events that allow apprentices to network and improve their working relationship such as apprentice newsletter, charity events etc. As a apprentice network we also organize social events such as bowling, football etc. In the first two weeks of apprenticeship in the first year, as an apprentice group you take a trip to skern lodge in Bideford. It helps us to build networks with other BMW Group apprentices as well as teamwork with my apprentice group.

Yes

BMW Group is a great company that offers many great opportunities for your career and the different possible qualifications you can get. For my apprenticeship (level 6), it is a great opportunity to be able to work on the job, learn from a training provider and getting a degree at the end of my apprenticeship with the education paid for by the company as well as getting paid. It is a great opportunity to further your career and comes with a lot of benefits such as a great pension scheme, the car scheme, opportunity to work worldwide and so much more.

For anyone that wants to apply to BMW Group, I would suggest getting work experience at one of the plants to see if it is something you'll enjoy doing and researching the history of the company and to be interested in engineering. I would also advice looking on our careers page for application hints and tips to give you the best chance of success. It is important to prepare well and show your confidence on the day.