Manufacturing Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

My day to day role involves attending meetings on the assembly line as a representative of my department, inputting data and admin tasks, raising orders/handling purchasing, updating process instructions and dealing with suppliers for purchasing equipment and consumables, and basic problem solving.

I use computer programs such as Excel and SAP on a daily basis plus internal systems. The main skill I have developed through this role are workplace conduct i.e professionalism and communication. I have not been involved in any significant engineering projects and do not spend time learning practical skills "on the tools" or in CAD for example.

In general colleagues are friendly, considerate and supportive but my work tasks do not reflect what I wanted from the apprenticeship and I do not find most tasks engaging, interesting or enjoyable.

My programme does not feel structured. Other than occasional 1:1 meetings with my manager and annual reviews with HR there does not seem to be a plan for my time as an apprentice. I have not been pointed to an "end goal" or a job role I could enter at the end of my apprenticeship. Placements in other departments have been suggested but managers do not actively help with this and my workload as a department assistant/covering vacant jobs means it is difficult to find time for a placement. There is virtually no connection between the workplace and university.

If I need support, the company does seem to make an effort to help as long as you ask the right people. Managers talk about support with the best intentions but their own workload and schedules mean it can be hard for them to offer help .

The university do not offer much support for students. Lectures are not very engaging and there have been times where assessments/coursework have involved content which has not been covered in the lectures. Additionally when help is requested, the answer often seems to be a repeat of information which has already been given, and it can be difficult to make sense of support sessions/material even if they have been distributed with the best intentions. Also, there is very little "hands on" work, or any material that could be applied in a practical sense either in university or back at the workplace.

In my apprenticeship there is very little crossover between work and study. My job role does not involve any of the aspects of my study, and the university course is entirely theory-based, with no practical engagement. Therefore as an engineering student it can feel like I do not actually "do" any engineering and cannot apply any theoretical learning to a practical application.

There are extra curricular activities which cover various hobbies/sports but they are not well-advertised and it is not made clear how to join these.

No

As an engineering student, I am disappointed with the lack of opportunities to learn or apply any engineering skills (both theoretical and practical) in the workplace. In my opinion my day-to-day work does not match what I expected from the role before I started and there are not many cases where this could change. Therefore I would not recommend apprenticeships at RRMC to a friend because it doesn't feel like a valuable learning experience.

The application process is a mix of online assessments and an interview/assessment centre. Once accepted for a role you need to be independent in meeting people and learning the systems, culture and workplace because people are very busy and will make time for you if you approach them, but may not actively approach you as a new starter.