Noise and vibration engineering higher apprentice Review
at BAE Systems
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Engineering
Barrow-in-Furness
Review Submitted: April 2021
Overall Rating
3.4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
3/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
In my role as a higher apprentice, I complete placements in different engineering departments to gain experience that will be useful to me in my exit role. The day to day tasks in each placement can vary greatly depending on the placement, but these could involve testing and commissioning activities, engineering design, calculation, and documentation, or project management style activities.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
Each placement can be completely different which different levels of enjoyment, some placements can contain repetitive or menial tasks that I don't learn much from and others are very engaging and enjoyable. Initially the apprenticeship did not meet my expectation with my fist few placements being fairly average with lots of free time but this has improved with subsequent placements.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have achieved a HNC in manufacturing and computer aided engineering, and started studying for a BEng in mechanical engineering. By the end of my scheme I will also achieve a level 4 NVQ in engineering manufacture. I have developed numerous engineering skills in various placements, along with personal developments from working in a professional environment.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The induction was well organized and thorough.
At the beginning of the scheme the organization seemed poor with placement allocation but this has improved.
There are many ways to get support but sometimes it is hard to make contact with these people through email.
Again the organization is placement dependent with some placements being highly organized with good workloads and other poor.
At the beginning of the scheme the organization seemed poor with placement allocation but this has improved.
There are many ways to get support but sometimes it is hard to make contact with these people through email.
Again the organization is placement dependent with some placements being highly organized with good workloads and other poor.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I receive regular progress reviews where I can ask for support if needed. There aren't any regular meetings with my apprentice managers and these seem to be quite random.
There are multiple managers and mentors that I could contact for support on various issues and they are usually easy to contact and happy to help.
There are multiple managers and mentors that I could contact for support on various issues and they are usually easy to contact and happy to help.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
My training providers run the qualifications like HNC and BEng so I receive direct support from them through teaching, they also hold meetings where we can raise concerns however these aren't anonymous so it can be difficult to raise issues. Some of the tutors can be reluctant to give support but some can be great, the qualifications are difficult but can also be rewarding.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
2/5
A lot of the content does not relate to the day to day roles of the apprenticeship but some things do like CAD skills and other topics may come in use in the future. I cant think of many times that I have put the theory I have learnt in college into practice.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
This aspect of the apprenticeship is poor with few social and sports event for apprentices, often the different functions do not mix so smaller functions like engineering have less opportunity to socialize. The location isn't great with poor links to other however it does have okay links to the lake district. When I'm not working I do exercise and college work.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The competitive salary.
The opportunity to get qualifications paid for.
Get some valuable work experience and experience of a professional and manufacturing environment all of which are good for your cv.
Its very likely that a job will be offered to you at completion of the apprenticeship.
Benefits of working for a large company like company shares and pension schemes.
The opportunity to get qualifications paid for.
Get some valuable work experience and experience of a professional and manufacturing environment all of which are good for your cv.
Its very likely that a job will be offered to you at completion of the apprenticeship.
Benefits of working for a large company like company shares and pension schemes.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
Look into the qualifications you will actually get from the apprenticeship because sometimes its can take a while compared to other routes like university.
Apply for a job and location that you can see yourself living and working at for a long term e.g. 5-10 years.
Be enthusiastic ready for the challenge.
Apply for a job and location that you can see yourself living and working at for a long term e.g. 5-10 years.
Be enthusiastic ready for the challenge.
