Aircraft Technician Review

I am currently in my first year of my apprenticeship at BAE systems as an Aircraft technician doing a level 3 apprenticeship. So far, I have had a good experience at work and have enjoyed the different tasks that we have been doing. These include placements on CFC (carbon fibre composites), CAD (computer aided design) and Electronics. There is a lot of work which must be completed however it is a manageable amount if you manage your workload well.

So far during my apprenticeship I have learned many new skills and have also developed many other skills. Examples of new skills I have learned are how to lay carbon fibre plies, how to use CAD (Computer Aided Design) software and how to solder electronic components into a circuit. In addition to this, I have also developed my mathematical skills during my on site college days along with my referencing skills.

I have enjoyed my apprenticeship to an extent so far as I have met many like minded people and I have also learned many new things. Learning new skills is something that I enjoy and so far since beginning my apprenticeship I have learned many new skills and for this reason I have enjoyed my apprenticeship. The only thing I would say I do not enjoy is the amount of writing which I must do however I understand that this just has to be done.

In my opinion the apprenticeship that I am on has been organised very well with a great structure. Ever since beginning my apprenticeship I have had explained to me the specific pathway which I will be following and it has been made clear to me just what I will be doing and I believe this has been structured in a very good way.

When at work, I receive adequate support from all of my skills coaches and line managers whenever I may require it. They are all very helpful and any little things which I need them to explain or help me with they will help me. Although they are there to help, we are encouraged to try and work things out ourselves however so that we actually understand the tasks which we are performing. There are also many support systems in place at BAE.

When working towards my qualifications, my training provider (BAE systems) provide me with enough support for me to be able to complete any tasks or assignments which I am set. My college tutors are extremely helpful and are always happy to help whenever any of us needs any extra assistance with anything.

In my opinion, the training which we are receiving from our FE (Further Education) days are helping aid us during our time at work. I think this is due to the fact that both our training provider and employer are both the same company and therefore they want to make sure that everything which we learn is going to be beneficial towards our role and will also be working towards our qualifications.

At work there are many different things which you can take part in outside of work hours. ne example that I can think of are the ERG's or employee resource groups. These are groups that people can join in order to show their support for things such as the LGBTQ+ community or for veterans at BAE systems.

Yes

In my opinion, BAE systems offer one of the best apprenticeship programs that is available. This is due to things such as the level of qualifications you come out of your apprenticeship with, the apprentice salary which you receive, the salary you will receive once you have finished your apprenticeship and what the job consists of.

The best advice I could give somebody when applying for an apprenticeship at BAE systems is to make sure that this is the correct job for you. If you complete an apprenticeship at BAE it is often said that you will have a "job for life". Due to this I would say it is important to make sure that this is the job that you want to do before you apply and if it is then I would definitely recommend doing so.