Trainee Telecomms Engineer Review
at BT Group
Level 2 Apprenticeship
Engineering
Whitstable
Review Submitted: June 2021
Overall Rating
4.2 /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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
My main role at Openreach is Fibre Jointer. This entails installing CBT's (Connectorised Block Terminals) onto poles, spanning fibre cables from pole to pole, rodding/roping and pulling cable underground, reading fibre node configuration sheets, installing any SASA's required by the FNC, labelling and splicing the node and assuring all the work we have done meets top quality standards. I also take part in a program called lead to cash, where we would use our installed CBT's to run a cable to a customers house and get them set up onto the new fibre infrastructure.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
So far I am thoroughly enjoying working for Openreach, the team attitude is incredible and the support from our fellow colleagues is outstanding, everyone is willing to help you and that really says a lot to me about Openreach. Working for Openreach far exceeded my expectations on how we would interact with each other and customers alike, it is a very friendly and calm environment and I am really enjoying it so far.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt a lot of new skills like splicing fibre, climbing poles, learning how to read Job Sheets and FNC sheets in order to complete work. I have also improved my communication skills along with my teamwork and social skills by an incredible amount, this in turn has improved my leadership skills and allowed me to take more responsibility for the team that I work with and for myself.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
So far it is hard to judge this, however we have had alot of emails come through with all of our scheduled study days and everyone is always on the ball with knowing where/when they need to be somewhere. The structure is also well defined in this course which makes it easy to follow.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
So far I have only really had to ask for support from my manager and my fellow colleagues, I have never had an issue or felt afraid to ask a question even if it is silly I will always get a respectful answer and pointed in the right direction to where I need to go, and sometimes even praised for being the one to ask the silly question.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
I am aware that our Training Providers are always on the other end of the phone to provide us with support if we get stuck, whilst I have not yet had to use this to progress, I am sure I will in the future if I get stuck on the course.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
The qualification that we are going through will help me to perform better as I believe it will massively build my confidence and communication/teamworking skills. I can also increase my skill level as I will document everything I have done for this course I can always use it as a reference for ideas if I am ever stuck in a job which will help me come up with solutions.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
So far I have not delved into this yet, as I have been concentrating on learning as much as I can, however, I know on our company Workplace there are a lot of groups that range from football events to car club events which allow colleagues to connect over similar interests and potentially help us to make new friends.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BT Group to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I have not so far yet had a bad experience with Openreach, the training has been fantastic and the support network within Openreach is incredible, being able to ask anyone a question and either get an answer or pointed to someone who has an answer is great. I have already recommended Openreach to multiple of my friends.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BT Group?
My advice to potential new recruits is be prepared for a steep but rewarding learning curve, be ready to battle a lot of fears (Like Heights with climbing, and spiders) and be ready to think on your toes to come up with new unique ideas on how to get a job done.
