Science manufacturing maintenance engineer apprentice Review

One day a week in the training centre working on our HNC qualification. The rest of the days are on site, working on plant with experienced engineers actually doing the job, E.G. replacing pipework, no 2 days are the same and there is always something new to learn. We have the option to spend 7.2 hours a week in the apprentice study room to work on our NVQ if we desire.

Yes, I have learnt vast amounts of both important skills and knowledge that is both interesting and important for development in my role. I had very minimal knowledge on general mechanical work when beginning my apprenticeship. And essentially zero knowledge on chemical plant engineering. I now feel i have a high enough level of understanding and skill level to fulfil my role comfortably.

I enjoy the programme a lot, I enjoy the topic in which the apprenticeship is in, so I enjoy learning about it and there is always something new to learn every day. I also enjoy the manual side, getting my hands on and getting involved in tasks rather than learning from a book or someone else doing the work and me watching.

The programme is structured very well, the first year of the apprenticeship is full time at the training centre, completing your level 2 and 3 bTec Qualifications, which I believe is a great way to complete it as you get these qualification done with and out of the way at the beginning and also gives you a base level of knowledge which is useful for when you first come to site. and leaves more time for you to complete your other documentation and to do a HNC. After that its 1 day a week at the training centre and the rest on site.

My employee gives me all the support I need, if I every have any questions they will always answer or find out the answer for me if they do not know, or if I am struggling with work they are very supportive and have even offered to get a tutor in if I desired one.

The training providers are very supportive, the tutors are always accessible through teams if I have any questions at home, this is as well as our assessor that is always available via email. They are always supportive if you have any questions and will explain it as much as you need until you fully understand the topic which is being taught.

My qualifications that I have gained through my training provider have been very important for me to perform better in my role, there is a lot of knowledge that I learn that comes up while I am working, but doesn't come up as frequently as others, so it is good I had already gained this knowledge as if I had not done the qualification before hand I would not have experienced it before and would not have been able to complete the task I was set on my own.

There are often events at work that you may get involved in, such as bake offs and charity walks. There are also many groups around site that do daily or weekly activities, such as running and walking groups that anyone can join. however I am unaware of any official sporting or other extra-curricular teams at work.

Yes

I Find it a great place to work that has lots of great benefits, such as private medical care, many discounts on things such as the AA and a great pension. It has a competitive salary and I am always supported whenever I need and the employees have a great relationship.

Be confident in your interview, and be prepared for difficult questions, use evidence when talking about qualities and attributes in your application and interview. Do your research into the company and its product, and just be yourself and friendly in nature, they value your experiences and but also value your work ethic and attitude equally.