RateMyPlacement and RateMyApprenticeship are now Higherin: Learn More

Higherin
NHS

Business and Administration apprentice Review

at NHS

Level 2 Apprenticeship

Business Operations

Plymouth

Review Submitted: January 2022

Overall Rating

1.9 /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!

2.5/5 - Overview of Role
3/5 - Skills Development
1.4/5 - 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
My role consists of moving placements every 3 to 4 months into a different department meaning i get a lot of different exeperience in different places in the dock yard. This helps when finishing the programme when you need to decide which area you would willingly like to proceed in.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
I do enjoy the programme itself as I believe that the experience of swapping different placements and learning all aspects of the business is something you cant get in any other apprenticeship, however do expect to be working with younger people straight from school and you have a very close relationship with your manager which can be bitter sweet.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
the New skills I have developed in this Babcock apprenticeship are such as, diary management, document controlling and managing, Personal assistant experience with managers and directors, travel booking, conference room management, switchboard, college coursework, good communication skills, managing and prioritising work load, people skills, creating relationships and working from home experience.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?
2/5
The programme is definitely well structured in actual babcock as we are always expected in placement and there is work for us to do. The managers are always happy to help and check in often. When doing college work its a bit different as you have to do a qualification that has nothing to do with the apprenticeship you're doing so is a bit of a waste of time.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
2/5
You will recieve a lot of good support fromt he employer, the pay isnt so great when in the apprenticeship , whoever once qualified it is a good wage to have. The managers do have full control on what you do for instance, not allowed to be alone, no overtime, no flexi, no turning your computer off t any point in the day, always replying to their emails and if not then why? Very much treated like children.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
From the College you get absolutely no support. Because were doing a qualification that has nothing to do with our apprenticeship its hard to understand what questions were being set and when you send an email of support you wont get a reply from them. However the college aspect is just something you have to get through.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
1/5
I think my training provider at Babcock( City College) does not help me progress in my role at all, the Standard (qualification) we are doing is customer service instead of the business administration NVQ, which is really disappointing and were not told when applying so be careful of this fact.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
1/5
Not really unless your department in your placement is running them, but even if they were you aren't allowed to do over time or flexi to go to any of them. You have a virtual coffee morning once a month with the other apprentices to catch up, but thats about it.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend NHS to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I would recommend babcock to a friend for the simple reason of the all the amazing benefits you get AFTER the apprenticeship, for example, above average wages, union, great pension scheme, overtime pay, flexi, working from home available when needed, friendly atmosphere, discrimination and bullying policies in place and a lot more...
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NHS?
When applying to babcock, just make sure you 100% know what is going to be in your role you're applying for and what your pay bracket will be, its a lot of hard work emotionally and physically doing the apprenticeship however it is probably going to be worth it in the long run.
In This Review
Join Now

Join the Higherin Community

Save Time

Easily add jobs from Higherin or external platforms to keep everything organised.

Personalised Alerts

Get tailored job recommendations and updates straight to your inbox.

Exclusive Features

Access tools like application tracking, deadline reminders, and saved searches.

Stay Ahead

Be the first to know about the latest opportunities and deadlines.

Completely Free

Create an account and unlock powerful features at no cost.