Quality Apprentice Review

I am now in my final placement of my apprenticeship and performing the role that I will be doing when I have finished. I work as a change controller and am responsible for ensuring a smooth rollout of part changes into production. This can involve parts bought in from suppliers or machined components that are used in assembly.

I have developed a variety of skills throughout the apprenticeship. The academic side of the apprenticeship has improved my theoretical knowledge of different manufacturing processes and why we have them. Working around the business has helped improve my confidence and communication skills by forcing me to communicate with other associates.

I really enjoy the program as it involves working in a high paced environment in which no two days are the same. The work and university balance breaks up the week so that not every day is spent in the office. As I have progressed through the apprenticeship I have also taken on more responsibility.

The apprenticeship is well structured. The first year is full time at a college to learn practical skills. The next two years are day release to a university and the rest of the week is spent doing 3 monthly placements around the business. The final year is day release at university and the rest of the week is spent in a final placement at work.

There are many people who support the apprentices at BMW. Firstly the training manager supports on apprentice topics and with any issues that have been raised from the university days. Apprentices also receive support from their placement managers to help with the job role that they are carrying out and to improve their skills.

The training provider has supported me while working towards my degree in a variety of ways. Lecturers are always willing to provide support on topics that are both project related and on individual units. They always aim to offer clear support in solving problems and have a good attitude while support me.

The qualification at university is on manufacturing engineering. Some units in this degree have added very little value to my job role, but most units have provided a benefit. An example of this is that the operations systems unit taught me about supply chain management, which is important to understand when dealing with new part releases.

Unfortunately there has not been many extra curricular activities to get involved in as the coronavirus pandemic has reduced most contact outside of work. There have also been very few professional networking events to get involved in. One event that has been highlighted in the past is the Engineering show at the NEC.

Yes

The options after school were either to go to university or do an apprenticeship. With this apprenticeship at BMW, you can both study the degree while gaining experience in a working environment. This has been an enjoyable experience so far and I am being paid to both go to university and prepare myself for a job in the future.

There are a variety of apprenticeships that are offered by the company, so look into which roles interest you and which manufacturing sites you would like to work at. The majority of apprentices end up in a job role similar to the one that they applied for, so it is important to begin in the correct place.