IT Apprentice Review

My day to day role involves attending meetings regarding ongoing projects and support for markets across the EMEA region, working with my team and shadowing/ supporting them on a variety of topics around IaaS, Infrastructure as a Service.

Since starting my Apprenticeship I have been given the opportunity to learn many new skills and develop my existing skills, these mainly being professional skills like clear and effective communication, presentation skills, working efficiently in a team and learning how to manage projects. I have also been able to learn many new technical skills around IaaS topics, but also business analysis, sales support, product management and application management skills as well.

Over the last four years of my apprenticeship, I have really enjoyed the opportunities I have been given, the first three years I spent moving around different departments within the business and IT, which has been very beneficial to my knowledge and understanding of the wider company and how I now support the business in an IT role. My final year, this year, has also been very enjoyable, specialising in my end role and working closely with my team working on projects not only in the U.K., but across the wider EMEA region, learning new technical and management skills.

All four years of my Apprenticeship have been very well structured, the first three spent working and moving across different departments within the wider business and IT teams, which was always well organised and managed. My final year has been the same, more focused on teaching me my end role, which has also been structured and managed well, with constant support always available.

My employer has been very supportive throughout my apprenticeship, both professionally and personally, always understanding of when I have needed more or less support at different times throughout the last four years, which I have really appreciated!

The training provider for my Apprenticeship has also been very supportive throughout the last four years of my Apprenticeship. There has been a couple of instances throughout my time where the University has been less supportive, but my employer has always been available to pick up any extra support I have required and worked with the University to ensure support was provided by them as well.

The University qualification I have been studying, Digital Technology Solutions (Software Engineering) degree, has been for the most part very beneficial and relevant to my current role I am undertaking with my employer. There has been many opportunities to develop my project management skills and modules on IaaS topics which have definitely helped to enable me to perform better in my current role.

There are many extra-curricular activities to get involved with that my employer provides but also activities and events employees organise which anyone is welcome to get involved with and encouraged to, ranging from team building days and socials, sports teams, quiz nights, charity events, etc.

Yes

The last four years of the Apprenticeship I have undertaken with the BMW Group has been one of the best decisions I have ever made, purely because I have been able to work in a fast paced, supportive and inclusive company that puts employees and most importantly Apprentices first. It has been very enjoyable throughout and allowed me to meet, work and be managed by some incredible people, who I am very grateful to be working with and be working for a great company, which I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a role within the company.

My advice to others looking to apply for a role within the BMW Group would be to be yourself and show that you are open minded and will enhance and engage with our amazing culture we have within the company and show that you are always willing to learn and want to learn new things, but also be able to work well within a team.