Apprentice Aircraft Technician Review

Currently my role is in a learning centre which is mostly classroom based. We have spent the past 6 weeks applying hand skills in a workshop and on the hangar floor, while just this week we have starting electrical hand skills in a classroom/workshop environment. In two weeks time we will be sent for a two week placement at Heathrow for real world experience.

As much of the first half of this apprenticeship year has been spent in the classroom, i would say i have mostly learnt theoretical knowledge rather than skills. That being said, the past 6 weeks we have been in the workshop and on the hangar floor where i have developed a number of mechanical hand-skills while also learning new skills such as accurate metal bending, use of precision measurement tools and working with chemicals.

So far the programme has been quite intense, as we have a lot to cover in a short amount of time before we return to Heathrow in September, although I have enjoyed it immensely even if I have felt very stressed and pressured at times. The area we are living/working is beautiful, which really helps to relax after a hard week.

I believe the structure of the programme is very good, it all makes sense and one stage leads onto another quite well, such as completing the module regarding materials and tooling prior to starting in the workshop. I have had some concerns regarding organisation, as we have had a number of last minute changes to the programme which has caught many of us off guard and could have had a negative impact on our learning.

The amount of support we receive from British Airways is excellent, if we ever have a problem, no matter how big or small, all we have to do is drop our managers a message via teams or WhatsApp and they will reply or call as soon as they are able to.

We do receive great support from Resource Group, there will always be someone to talk to about any issues that arise in centre and the resources they have provided are excellent. It does sometime feel as though they are struggling to juggle many balls at once though, as there are a number of different cohorts studying that they must manage.

I feel as though some of the theoretical knowledge will not actually be applicable when working on the job, but I understand that the majority of classroom learning is required by our governing body and is not decided by the training provider. I think the workshops and hangar tasks have really helped get a better understanding of the day-to-day role.

Currently, no there are no extra-curricular activities for the program except for a charity based event and a networking event in July that was proposed to management by the apprentices. This may be because we are away from British Airways for the year, so I have that the opportunity to do more activities will increase once we return to Heathrow.

Yes

While I have only been with British Airways for a short time, I already feel as though I am working for one of the best organisations in the country, with excellent standards that reflect onto the apprenticeship programme. The support and resources we have been provided with are second to none and I think this will further be expressed in the remaining years of our apprenticeship.

Firstly, I would say to evaluate your options and really think about how passionate you are to join the role you are applying for. Thousands of people applied for a mere 16 positions in my cohort, thus the standards and criteria were fairly cut throat. You need to make sure you are prepared, confident and most of all, passionate.