Software Engineering Apprentice Review

6 placements of around 6-7 months rotating around the business. Work varies depending on the placement and time of year but generally consists of: software changes, testing, design, documentation or requirements engineering.

I've learnt multiple new programming languages, new concepts and massively improved the skills I had already.

While some placements are more exciting and engaging than others, overall the apprenticeship is enjoyable and teaches you a massive amount, particularly if you get a placement who has a good amount of time to give to apprentices.

The placements are organised at the beginning of the apprenticeship so you can see the full schedule for the entire 4 years. Handovers between placements are generally smooth depending on the apprentice there before you. Sometimes the heavily structured nature of the placement schedule can work to the detriment of the scheme, making it difficult to change placements if you decide you'd like to return to a team/try a different one to what is scheduled. Communications between the company and university can also be poor sometimes, resulting in strange timetables and missing some important sessions.

I receive plenty of support with my work, most people are very happy to put time aside to help you and are generally patient and informative. Some placements have less time than others to give to apprentices, which can sometimes make learning harder when managers/team members are busy with other work.

All placements are generally very understanding of the time required to complete university work and often give days off during reading weeks or half term if it's required to complete assignments. Many managers also often go out of their way to provide work which displays the competencies required to complete the level 4 diploma, which makes it far easier to achieve some of the harder to achieve criteria.

I feel that many of the degree modules we do translate well over to the workplace, and vice versa, with placement and university work generally complementing each other well. That being said, some university modules are less applicable and the level 4 diploma does not serve to help me perform better in my role at all.

While there are some extra-curricular activities on offer, such as tours of other sites, social meet-ups or networking events, software engineering apprentices are generally offered fewer extra-curricular activities than other schemes.

Yes

Most people at BAE Systems are very knowledgeable, helpful and are happy to put time aside to teach apprentices and improve their knowledge/ability. The company is also very supportive in terms of completing qualifications and has several exciting projects ongoing to get involved in.

Show a genuine passion for the subject area you're applying for, provide examples of work/projects you've completed in that area, and make sure you're always willing to learn. You will not be expected to know everything from the word go, being willing to try anything and learn is far more important.