Leve 6 Business Degree Apprentice Review

Each day is different depending on the department you are working in. For example, placements around the business may include Logistics, Finance, Communications, Quality etc. but these will depend on your role. Typically, every day you will attend various team and project meetings, shadow your colleagues, and also complete project work both for your department and for any extra-curricular apprentice teams/activities you choose to participate in. As a business degree apprentice you will also spend one day a week at University where you complete work towards your degree. Typically, the days consist of 3, 2 hour lectures

I have learned and developed a lot of skills a result of my time on the apprenticeship. Standout skills include the ability to communicate, present and participate as a member of a team. A lot of work requires self-management which is crucial when working on or leading your own projects and this is something I have significantly developed as part of my apprenticeship.

I find the programme very enjoyable. You are given the opportunity to see a variety of different areas of the business and meet a vast number of different people, the majority of which are very supportive and keen to get you involved. Though some areas will suit your interests more so than others, in most placements as an apprentice you are also given a lot of responsibility and are able to make a real impact in the organisation which makes you feel very valued for your work.

I have found the programme to be well structured, with most placements being applicable to the content I have learned on my degree. It is particularly useful when business placements align with the content I am learning at University. It is also well-structed in regards to the fact that when we start a placement, we sit down with managers to discuss what projects we will complete in the placement before then reviewing these at the end.

Our employer is very supportive, the apprentice training team are always happy to support projects that you are completing both at work and at University. There are also a number of extra-curricular activities such as a newsletter team, sharepoint team and charity champions team which are strongly supported by management.

Abingdon and Witney College offer a lot of support in terms of the content they deliver and the level of communication you can have with the tutors via teams and in drop ins, around areas you are struggling in. They also offer 1:1s but I feel these could be a little more regular.

The qualification has opened my eyes to numerous different areas of business which I may not have otherwise learned about. A lot of modules are applicable to my day-to-day role in placements and I often tailor my assignments to be work-based allowing me to further my knowledge and understanding. I think it helps me perform better in many ways, particularly understanding how to apply theoretical learning, approaches and models to different business scenarios

There are a lot of extra curricular activities to get involved in. We have a UK Apprentice Newsletter team which allows us to network with apprentices from across all 5 UK sites and create content that promotes apprentices to the wider business. At Plant Oxford, we make significant use of the apprentice SharePoint site and there is a team of apprentices dedicated to developing this which is something that is very beneficial to get involved in. There is also a Charity Champions team who organise numerous fundraising events. Apprentices can get involved in this team, or alternatively they can participate in the fundraisers which are usually really fun and exciting e.g quizzes, rounders, cake sales etc...

Yes

BMW Group is an excellent organisation to pursue a career in. The development opportunities as an apprentice are vast, you are immediately integrated into teams and given significant opportunity to make real change. You are strongly encouraged to carryout your own projects that you are passionate about and in doing so you are able to develop and grow a great network.

I would advise anyone applying for a role at BMW Group to show the passion they have for the brand and to be open and honest about why you want to work there. BMW has a highly motivated apprentice culture and it is crucial that you have and show your own enthusiasm and proactivity in the application process.