Control Engineer Apprentice Review

When working on the shop floor the job role includes responding to breakdowns and fixing them in a safe and timely manner, this can be as simple as resetting the production sequence, or more complex such as changing a motor. As well as line running tasks, you may also be included in project work to improve a process.

The majority of the skills required for the apprenticeship are those that have been learnt / developed due to the training provided as part of the apprenticeship. Most of the skills therefore have been completely new to me, an example being machining which I have learnt from scratch. Some skills, such as programming, I have had previous experience of, but have developed by learning to program in different languages.

I highly enjoy the apprenticeship. There is a good balance of work and study, and they both complement each other in that the study helps further your understanding of certain topics / tasks encountered when completing the maintenance work. The work environment is enjoyable to operate in, the is a good sense of teamwork and it is easy to meet new people.

The whole structure of the programme works well, the first year is spent in the training school developing all of the basic skills and knowledge that you will need in the remaining three years of the apprenticeship. Year 2 is spent rotating around the different production facilities to experience how they all work, and allowing for you to decide your favourite for the third and fourth years where you get to integrate properly with the maintenance teams.

I receive a lot of support from my manager, they are always available to answer any queries / assist with any problems I may have. I have regular meetings with my manager where I can raise certain topics that may be concerning me both inside and outside of work and study.

The training provider provides a good level of support throughout the apprenticeship with both study and work related topics, although the support is mainly aimed at the study side. The on-site tutors are always available to support with the college topics both inside and outside of the lesson time, they are very helpful when it comes to understanding the course topics and assessments.

The qualification provides good background knowledge of topics relevant to the day-to-day working tasks of maintenance and control engineers, helping to better your understanding of breakdown scenarios and how best to resolve them. Naturally some of the modules that you study are not as relevant to the job role, however they give a good background knowledge that will help you later in your career.

There are plenty of extra-curricular activities to be apart of while you are an apprentice. There is the charity champions team in which you are responsible for organising fundraising events to raise money for the BMW Plant Oxford house charity, these events tend to be a mix of sport and social activities that anyone can be participate in.

Yes

The BMW group is a good employer that provides valuable training and experience that helps you to develop personally and professionally within your chosen field. There are plenty of opportunities to network with other individuals within the group, both within and outside of this country, allowing you to progress your career in whichever direction you choose.

Advice for applying to the BMW group would be to focus / demonstrate your interests, strengths, experience and attitude. Often showing you have a good attitude by showing you are keen to learn and improve your skills is important as well as demonstrating you can work and communicate well as part of a team.