Instructional Designer Review

by Siemens

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

3.1/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

I create eLearning for engineers on the railway. I use Articulate and Adobe software's to design assets and put them together to create an eLearning. These go through peer and subject matter expert reviews to make sure my work is up to standard. Once a week I attend College.

8/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

I have gained a thorough understanding of the Adobe suite software and UX/UI theories. I have learnt the Articulate suite, which is the industry standard software for creating eLearning. I also developed my knowledge in learning styles and how to create engaging eLearning.

6/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I have enjoyed the work and found the learning I did informative and engaging. I have found the college experience poor, Newcastle College has systematic poor communication and disorganisation which has made the course extremely hard to navigate as a student.

4/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Newcastle college had no structure to the course, as a student it often felt as though they were making it up week by week, with no thought of forward planning. The workplace also had no plan for the Apprenticeship, there was no further training plan that attending college.

2/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

I do not feel I have had much support from my employer. There was no training plan put in place, I am mainly self taught. When I raised concerns about the colleges behaviour, the ELT team were dismissive and ignored my complaints.

1/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

I have received very little support from my training provider. I am starting my EPA in 2 weeks, and I still do not have a date for the Interviews. The college has not been transparent with their decision making, which has led me to believe that they do not have a plan for our EPA.

1/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

I have found that only about 25% of learning we have done in the college has helped me perform better at work. I am self taught for the most. There was no structure to the training, and the college didn't learn who the students were before starting, so the course was not structured around us.

2/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Not many. A sense of community was not built for the apprentices.

1/10

9a. Would you recommend Siemens to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

It is a good company with excellent benefits, however its apprenticeship scheme needs to be improved.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Siemens?

Research the company have other work experience