Toolmaker Review

Carrying out maintenance (both preventative and reactive) on tooling dies which are used to to press panels for the production of BMW Group vehicles. Day to day activities include cleaning and inspecting the tooling dies and carrying out any repairs/maintenance that is necessary. There are larger jobs that occur such as commissioning of new tooling dies.

I have been put on numerous training courses to ensure I can use lots of different pieces of machinery and equipment for my job role. I have learnt lots of new skills over the past year that is needed for carrying out die maintenance and has resulted in me having a bank of skills and knowledge which i can then apply in the workplace.

Everyone at work is very friendly and helpful which means even when there is a hard day, there are many people who are available for help and support and they make you feel really welcome. Most people here are ex-apprentices so they are very understanding of the situation I am in and offer me support every day. The programme itself is very enjoyable as I never know what job I will be doing as the work changes from day to day.

We have a training plan that is in place so we know what area of the workplace we will be working in throughout the apprenticeship. We had an apprentice mentor who helped transition us from college to the workplace and ensured we had learnt the key skills for die maintenance.

My employer offers lots of support, we have weekly meetings where they ask about my week and I have the opportunity to bring up any queries or concerns in a safe and professional space. I always feel like I can ask questions when I am unsure and I never feel like I wont be taken seriously.

I have sessions with my assessor for my qualifications at least every two weeks if not every week to ensure I am up to date on my work and that I don't have any issues. My assessor is very approachable and helpful when it comes to any issues that I may face with the qualification.

The NVQ qualification goes hand in hand with my job role as the evidence given for the qualification is work that I have completed in the workplace. The BTEC qualification gives a good step into the workplace as it provides the knowledge to undertake engineering activities and as such is useful in the workplace.

There are a number of extra-curricular activities such as an apprentice newsletter team that I am part of. This allows for networking across the different plants amongst apprentices and gives you an insight in the work that other sites carry out and allow for a space for apprentices to talk with each other.

Yes

The thing that I tell everyone who asks about my apprenticeship is that I have never woken up in the morning and felt like I didn't want to go to work. I always feel supported at work and feel like I am in a safe environment. The skills and qualifications that I will receive during the apprenticeship will allow me to have a good future in the engineering industry.

BMW Group offers a range of different apprenticeships across a number of different sites in the UK so it is important to look at what is on offer to see what best suites you. I understand the recruitment process is rather long but stay confident in yourself and try your hardest throughout the process.