Apprentice Engineer Review

Learning the different engineering roles on site. Developing skills and understanding in engineering and generally working towards being a member of the engineering team. I have moved through the different teams on site and each time I worked directly with my mentor as a member of the team gaining more responsibility as they taught me and got used to my ability level.

I have learnt many new skills and developed my existing ones especially with the help and experience from the mentors. The qualification has taught me new knowledge and skills but the most valuable takeaway is the experience and coaching from the mentors on site. Not much ability to practice welding after college.

The program is very enjoyable thanks to the engineers you work with and your peers. The work is enjoyable as long as you are willing to get involved and you can put up with the smell. The day to day tasks are not too overwhelming and the mentors are there to help if need be.

The program was disrupted by covid even so there is no clear structure or plan. College is arranged and changed continuously. You don’t always know how long you will stay with a team and there is no clear objective to achieve whilst in that team. Some managers are good some not so much.

The mentors are great and as long as you are willing to learn and able to listen they will help and coach you as much as they are able. However, getting resources and equipment is difficult at times. This can make it difficult to do your duties and to progress.

When you are physically at the college the tutors are great and help as much as they can. However when on site and seeking support or marking remotely they are slow and sometimes unresponsive until you start CCing people from my company to move things along. This can be frustrating and not helpful when trying to progress.

The knowledge and skills picked up through the qualification is generally relevant and helpful to progress within the workplace. It teaches you basics and from there you can grow and develop those skills on site. Obviously each site is different and so some things are more relevant to different people.

There is a social club but not much is organised. The shifts sometimes unofficially organise social events for Christmas/summer time but these are more if you work directly with them and hear by word of mouth. There have been a couple of events organised on site such as a ‘fun day’ which was a few hours on a sunny afternoon in the car park with a burger van and a few things to look at and discuss to launch/ announce a new project on site.

Yes

Overall I have learnt a lot and gained valuable experience as well as developing my skills. The apprenticeship allows you to gain a level 3 which you can use in any food manufacturing business. The apprenticeship is very well paid with great benefits with long term career opportunities. Generally this is a very good apprenticeship.

Be passionate about what you are studying. Listen and be keen to learn from your mentors and they will give back as much as they can. The company has a bright future and is keen to bring new young talent in. There’s plenty of room to progress after the apprenticeship so work hard and show them you are worth investing in.