Higher Level Mechanical Apprentice Review

In my final year, I attend college lectures 1 day a week and spend 4 days a week in my full time role. I am learning skill and preparing to take on the responsibility upon completing my apprenticeship. This involves more specific training and carrying out regular tasks for my role.

I have gained many new engineering focused skills, such as reading technical drawings and understanding data. I have learned how to utilise data sources, to gather the information I need. I have improved my computer and report writing skills in order to produce formal, written documentation and reports. I have also developed my presentation skills and confidence.

The programme is generally enjoyable on the day-to-day as my work colleagues are friendly and I have connected with the other apprentices. However, the lack of communication from the apprenticeship team can make things stressful and occasionally you can feel lost and have no clear direction and as though some things have been a last minute thought.

The general 4 year schedule is clearly defined and planned out, however this is not shared with you beforehand and you must discover it as you go along. Due to a change of management structure recently the programme’s organisation did suffer leaving apprentices a little scattered, however this should be rectified soon.

Originally I received plenty of support with regular check-ins from the apprenticeship team. In my final two years I do often converse with anyone on the apprenticeship team although I am sure support would be available if I requested it. My support generally now comes from my direct line management.

The support from the training provider is severely lacking. Often they make things more stressful and difficult than it needs to be and you are generally left to teach yourself many of the topics on the weekend after a ‘wasted’ day at college in lectures. There is often minimal preparation and a lack of professionalism.

There are areas of my learning and study for my qualification which have helped my understanding of engineering in general and therefore assisted with my performance at work. However, there are other aspects which have little relevance, this is often how education can be and I may find they benefit me as I progress through different roles throughout my career.

There are a variety of opportunities to get involved with including various networks with focuses on the environment, gender inequality, faith, pride and more. There is also the opportunity to be involved in more apprentice focused roles such as careers fairs and stem events and helping others within the health and well-being team.

Yes

The qualifications and benefits are a good start for anyone looking to get into an engineering career. Whilst there are ongoing issues in some areas of the course, overall opportunity is good, particularly in our local area. It is one of the biggest employers meaning even if you don’t enjoy your initial role there is chance to move and change.

Ensure you are aware of how big the company is and all the different industries the company is involved with. Gain an understanding of its connection with the military and how that, in turn, benefits the nation. Also determine why engineering is your preferred career particularly for a chosen trade.