Apprentice Complex Systems Review

My apprenticeship is called Complex Systems and Support, and within this role I have moved around the various teams in the Support Engineering department. This has enabled me to gain a well rounded knowledge of how processes happen within the company. I have then fallen into the LSA team, where I will continue to work following my apprenticeship.

I have become much more confident whilst in this role, I am happier speaking to both new people in person and over the phone. I have taken part in a couple of week long courses, developing my skills and knowledge about both RCM and LSA. I have also met some great people within my role.

I really like the team I am working with, there is a real sense of community within my office, and we have a great craic. The work can be a bit repetitive at times, but we tend to find something entertaining in it to make the day go by. This job has massively lived up to my expectations.

Our induction process was a bit bumpy as we were the first intake of CS&S apprentices in Barrow, and early careers weren't sure who we were or what we did. Once we completed our first year at college and moved into the office with our colleagues we felt a lot more supported.

My office is such a supportive environment, the team leaders and managers interact with us daily having a laugh and a joke, but also are around if we need any assistance. I am currently in the process of wrapping up my 3.5 year apprenticeship, and I am already in the application process for starting my degree in September.

During the first year of the apprenticeship we did a National Diploma, which had lots of tutors and it was easy to get a hold of people when we needed help. However, covid struck during my second year, this meant it was much harder to get support as I completed my HNC.

Completing both my ND and HNC have helped me to develop my understanding of how things within engineering work. The qualifications don't completely relate to what I do day to day, but they provide a good foundation, upon which I can build. I would say I know more about my industry following the course.

There are lots of things to get involved in in my office, there are a couple of football bets floating round, as well as some of the guys playing football/tennis of an evening. There are also a few girls nights as the year goes by, and a massive whole office Christmas do each year. In the summer a big group go to Cartmel Raceday as well.

Yes

BAE Systems is a great company, that sets you up for a lifelong career. They are willing to support and develop you so long as you put the time in, and they offer great pay to. There are also plenty of locations both in the UK and internationally, and there is the potential for you to spend time working at these locations.

If you're applying for BAE Systems I would recommend you check your emails regularly, including the junk folder, to ensure that you don't miss any key dates. I would also advise getting a job (even part time) before you apply, as I have seen people find it easier getting in once they have shown they can hold down a job. The job doesn't need to be in the same sector, for instance I worked at ASDA.