Ground operations apprentice Review

My Job role involves moving baggage containers to and from the aircraft. On a departure I will collect the container from the baggage hall and deliver it to the departing aircraft. On an arrival I will collect an arriving container and return the baggage to the passengers in the baggage hall.

I have developed my communication and problem solving skills. I have also developed a far greater knowledge and understanding of the operation, the rules and regulations and the challenges faced daily in the below the wing operation.

The program has been riddled with issues from the start. Many of these have been resolved but some still remain. Furthermore we are not considered to be part of operational numbers and our rosters allocate us as ‘spare’ every single day. This has had a great impact on our motivation and morale. The programme also lacks focus and meaning as the training programme provides us with very little information that benefits us in our role.

The operational side of our apprenticeship has been very well structured and the training we have been provided has been very thorough and professional. The apprenticeship side of our apprenticeship has been less well structured. For example, we arrived at TBC one day and the apprenticeship team had no idea we would be there and had nothing planned for us to do.

I have received plenty of support from my employer and my managers have worked hard to solve the problems my colleagues and I have encountered. I am also able to contact them when I need to and they respond quickly.

My training coach has been excellent and has provided as much assistance as I have needed to achieve my qualification.

The content provided by the training provider often lacks relevance and subject specific context. The impact of what I have learned in my course has had a negligible effect on my day to day work.

There is an abundance of extra-curricular activities at BA. There has been plenty of things to get involved in from charity events to sports teams.

Yes

I would recommend BA as an employer as there is a wealth of opportunities available within the airline. However, having said that, I could not recommend my apprenticeship based on my experience due to the issues outlined above.

I would recommend to have a base level knowledge of the airline, what it stands for and the service it provides.