Body Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

I am part of the lighting team, and work in ambient lighting. I am currently delivering a lead engineer role, and am responsible for delivering the lighting on a future vehicle whilst we recruit more engineers into the newly formed team. Day-to-day I'm in a lot of integration meetings and do core engineering activities like DFMEAs and Sourcing. I will likely return to off-cycle project work in order to complete my NVQs soon, where I will work on early concept development activities.

It is a continual learning curve on an apprenticeship, its a very steep curve but also a very good one. I appreciate that some of the engineering skills I do everyday in my job are relevant to some of my uni modules and I able to use my learning to make the assignments a bit easier.

I much prefer my role now I've joined a team that better matches my skillset. I don't enjoy a lot of the university modules but I know that they are getting me a free degree so cannot complain! My team are really good but now I need to work more on my NVQs and EPA evidence I will need to juggle apprenticeship commitments more alongside my job, which will make it more tricky.

I think the apprenticeship could be ran better by the delivery team though, and that there should be more focus on learning from the failings of our 6 year course to improve the new four year course. Our NVQs are pointless, but thankfully have been removed from the new scheme. There could be better communication of whats coming to allow us to prepare more effectively for apprenticeship milestones and upcoming requirements like EPA.

My team, boss and departmental senior management are very supportive and give me plenty of time to do assignments when there a crunch period. Unfortunately not everyone is as lucky as me though and a few people struggle to maintain the minimum 1/2 day on a Friday for university work, which is contractually specified. The Early Careers Delivery team are fairly supportive, but the changeover in staff is frequent and they feel disconnected from us apprentices.

The Training provider is Warwick University for the qualification, but was formerly Warwickshire College group. Warwick university lecturers are on the whole fairly supportive but you get people at both ends of the spectrum. Some cannot help you enough, and some wont help at all. You have access to the main university library and other resources too though, so there are other support systems in place.

Not really. I think that my job role actually helps me to perform better in my qualification, but I do see some of the skills we learn on the qualification applied to my job role occasionally. The qualification qualifies me to do my job role, but I could just as easily do my job without it. Doing an engineers job makes an engineer, not necessarily the degree!

I have joined in with a few social events but there is no shortage of ones I could do if I wanted to! My friend recently went on the organised early careers ski trip and lots of apprentices are also in warwick university societies and sports teams. The Early Careers Community is a group formed by apprentices, grads and undergrads to plan and host the events and sports teams - it is not organised by the delivery team.

Yes

I wasnt sure about university, and definitely didnt know if engineering was for me. It was better to be paid to find out that I quite enjoy it, than pay to find out at university! A free degree, a high salary, no debt and six years of real job experience cant stack up to a university degree in my opinion. I just bought my first house unassisted by parents at the age of 20... Its not something Id have ever done if I'd gone to uni.

Make your STAR stories. All skills are transferrable. Its an entry level qualification, so why would they expect you to already have lots of engineering experience and knowledge. Theyre hiring a person and just remember to be confident and personable. Any skills from part time jobs, or even school positions, are useful and if you prepare you can easily smash a presentation and interview.