SHM Engineer Review

Over the first 3 years I navigated through numerous placements and learnt their processes so that I was able to replicate the work that was carried out and contribute where possible. I am now specialising in structural engineering and have been excellently embedded into my team. I provide support to our stakeholders and answer queries they have about their assets.

Throughout the apprenticeship I have learnt and developed (to a high standard) a wide range of skills. For example, organisational skills are highly important when balancing team meeting and scheduled work that has strict deadlines. One of the main skills I have developed is interpersonal skills as there are many opportunities to lease with a number of key stakeholders.

I have been supported throughout my experience and as a result I have enjoyed every moment of my experience so far. I have been exposed to many areas of the business and also secured funding to enable further learning within placements at external customer sites. I can't wait to further develop within my specialism.

The programme is structured well as the apprentices have the opportunity to be exposed to many areas of the air sector. This helps when choosing an area to specialise in as you can understanding what you enjoy the most. University one day a week in term time has been smooth the whole time and has always been manageable in terms of workload.

BAE Systems offer many employee support services that available to its staff. The early careers team deal with apprentice admin and provide an abundance of information where necessary. The employer allows for time during the working week to do university assignments and exam revision. Any issues are usually resolved promptly and always professionally.

The training provider is excellent in providing support towards the Degree. The tutors are always on hand to answer any questions and further explain any of the taught content. They are excellent at providing feedback on assignments and exams. They also often ask if theres any changes they can make to improve the experience.

The Aerospace Engineering Degree provides a solid foundation to the day to day work that is carried out. It can be difficult to directly relate company work to university due to the military/civil cross over. However, many assignments can include information from older military aircraft that have been declassified.

There are a wide variety of extra curricular activities to get involved in. Often charity events are organised for apprentices to provide an opportunity to raise money and have fun a the same time. I have taken part in basketball and football tournaments in the past that have been organised by other apprentices.

Yes

I feel that there are many positives to working for BAE Systems. I have been provided with high quality training both in work and by university. The experiences and opportunities available are excellent. There are also many employee benefits such as a performance based bonus and share incentive scheme that the employee adds to on top of your contribution.

BAE Systems is a diverse work force of creatively minded people. Most workers within engineering have a genuine interest in aircraft which is reflected in their work. A genuine interest can be shown by hobbies such as mine which is working on cars in my spare time learning how they function and are put together.