Aspiring Leaders Apprwntice Review

In my role as an Aspiring Leaders Apprentice, I have great exposure to the wider business, rotating around various functions of the business and experiencing different cultures and ways of working for these teams. In my current placement based in flight operations I am working closely with stakeholders and implementing some transformational projects to the department.

In my short time on this apprenticeship I have noticed significant changes to my existing skill set. Being able to confidently deliver presentations in front of senior stakeholders and large groups of people was an area of development for me and the exposure to this in my role has helped me to grow in confidence.

I am thoroughly enjoying my programme the balance between university studies and work within the business is a perfect fit. Having the opportunity to rotate around around the business is brilliant, getting exposure from both operational and office based placements is a great way to understand more about the wider business.

Our programme both on the university side and business side is well structured. We have clear direction of our future modules of our degree studies and have a solid bidding system in place to opt for future placements within the workplace. Both the business and university are very flexible to cater for our needs.

We receive plenty of support from our employer whether that is our apprenticeship manager, placement managers and also the university. There are lots of platforms we are made aware of if we need any further support whilst in programme or in the workplace and these are easily accessible to all.

Again, lots of support is on hand from our university and the Chartered Manager Institute, regular check ins are scheduled every month to ensure we are on track in each module and again there are lots of support networks in place from the university side to cater for any additional support.

Whilst working towards our degree qualification I have noticed some transferable modules that have had a positive impact on the work I have been completing on my placement. Linking some theories and models to project management work has been a great help and have been able to expand on this learning when presenting initiatives to stakeholders

At British airways there are plenty of extra-curricular activities to get involved with throughout the year. Flying start our charity is one of the main ones that allows colleagues across the business to help raise money for comic relief. Activities could include creating bake sales, running the London marathon, or even abseiling down the orbital in the Olympic park.

Yes

It is a fantastic to work, in my short space of time I have been exposed to some fantastic opportunities and have been able to grow my skill set massively though these opportunities. With the rotational nature of this course I have been able to network massively across the business.

The biggest piece of advice I would give is to show your passion for the industry, be yourself and do plenty of research about the company. Maybe even look into some of our plans including sustainability plans for the future as this is a large area of development for the business.