NDT Engineer Degree Apprentice Review

Carrying out Non-Destructive inspection on parts that move through the factory.

Before the apprenticeship began I was unfamiliar with most NDT techniques, and those I had heard of I knew little about. Now that I have around 5 months experience, I am competent at carrying out inspections of most parts and determining if they will pass or fail.

The programme provides an intellectual challenge to learn the various NDT methods both practically - while actually working in placements - and theoretically - to pass the exams and gain qualifications. This makes the job exciting and engaging, and I enjoy the hard work.

We move through areas of the business through work placements, accruing hours in our chosen NDT methods. At various points during this time, we go to the South West School of NDT to partake in training courses to learn the theory behind this methods, after which we gain qualification.

There are plenty of information resources available, and it has been made clear who we can ask for help if we need support during the course.

From my experience so far, the contacts we have been given are not the most reliable at resolving issue we have encountered. I find it is far more efficient to contact lecturers directly about queries rather than going through the intended contacts.

In the environment I am currently working in, the NDT Degree is not very useful. PCN's and practical skills are far more valuable. However, the goal is for us to become L3 technicians, and at this point the theoretical knowledge from the degree will become more useful to us.

While I have not yet taken part in any, I am aware that such activities do exist, and may choose to get involved in the future.

Yes

Coming into a business that is already well established means that the structure of the course you are on will generally be pretty solid, and getting into a company like Rolls-Royce carries a lot of prestigious value, in that people generally have a high opinion of Rolls-Royce personnel and products.

Confidence is more powerful than knowledge. When I was going through the interview process for my course, I worried that I didn't know enough about NDT or the company, and while I would recommend doing your research, as long as you seem confident, you'll probably be okay.