Aerospace engineering degree apprentice Review

Our role consists of completing engineering and aerospace tasks. I am currently completing my level 2 diploma in the learning and development centre at the same time as attending university weekly. My level 2 consists of lots of practical learning long with knowledge questions to ensure I understand all of the content.

I have learnt lots of new practical skills in the workshop such as milling and soldering. These will be helpful as I move into different roles to understand how different materials work with different processes. This helps me understand what is possible in the engineering world and how different parts and processes come together to create a final product.

I enjoy my programme a lot as I get to work and earn at the same time. This is really helpful as University degrees can cause you to undergo a lot of debt and I am actually getting paid for University. This is one of the main advantages for my degree apprenticeship which I highly recommend.

The organisation and structure of most aspects of my programme is very good. However, there have been times where some courses which I have had to complete have been mixed up and I have been ending up doing a completely different course which wasn't the best. However, most of the time the structure is okay.

There are lots of opportunities to gain support and resolve any issues that are posed to you. For example, every week we have a meeting with our ADL (apprentice development leader) to put any problems experienced forward. These problems are often resolved very quickly and is a really good method of gaining support.

In the workplace, there is lots of support and opportunity for gradual development. Many of the courses that I am doing currently for my Level 2 Diploma are at a steady pace and the instructors are very friendly and helpful when need be. Also in University there are many opportunities to gain additional help for example in a lesson or lecture that you do not understand.

The university degree, Mechanical Engineering and Electronics, is very detailed and goes into deep specifics of mechanical and electronic engineering. I do not believe that this is significantly helpful in the workplace. However, this may be because I am only going through my Level 2 Diploma currently which is fairly basic in terms of Engineering.

There are many extra-curricular activities from both my employer and my training provider. For example, Rolls-Royce has a sports team and also the Union which is good. Also, the University of Derby offers many extra-curricular activities such as joining societies or the sports teams which the University currently have available.

Yes

Rolls-Royce is very diverse and inclusive and provides lots of development to its employers, especially for apprentices. As an apprentice I believe there are many opportunities to climb the ranks of Rolls-Royce as many senior members of the business actually started off as apprentices. Therefore, I would definitely recommend a friend to join Rolls-Royce whilst they are young as they can have the opportunity of becoming an apprentice.

Be yourself in the interview as the interview is the final stage of the recruitment process. At this stage the employer already believes you have the correct qualifications and experience to succeed in the job. You just have to provide a good first impression and impress the interviewer as that it mostly what you are assessed on in the final stages.