Maintenance Technician Review
at BMW Group UK
Degree Apprenticeship
Engineering
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
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!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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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 role in BMW is to maintain and fix machinery with a focus on the electronic side. Currently, I attend college full time. Learning skills such as lathe work, milling, bench fitting, electrical installation, electronic assembly, fluid power and fault finding. Fault finding is within electronics, electrical and maintaining machinery and equipment (i.e. lathes, vices, valves).
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I am thoroughly enjoying the current program that I am on. The work keeps me interested, constantly learning new skills and has allowed me to push further into the world of engineering. During the degree days I have been able to push my coding skills further and realize a higher level of potential.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt how to be critical of the work that I do, comparing it to tolerances and measurements that need to be met. During the degree lessons I have learnt how to code hardware and how to diagnose issues when syntax errors occur. Finally, during the electrical lessons I have learnt how to use different types and methods for testing equipment, such as the use of a multimeter.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
1/5
The lesson structure has been excellent, every lesson we have had a plan to follow and are always ahead of schedule so work can be completed to a high standard. However, the management has been poor at planning our time at college, often not arranging an appropriate timetable. This has improved as of late however, after company intervention.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
BMW have provided laptops for all apprentices to carry out their college and degree work on. They also provide us with excellent support, carrying out surveys to ensure that we are comfortable and enjoying our work. Our apprentice manager will see us once a week in person to see if we have any unresolved issues or problems and give us help in solving them.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
The lecturers at James Watt college provide us with excellent support when it comes to our learning, they will answer any questions that you have and will go in depth about their topic to ensure that you have full a understanding. If you need any additional support they are more than willing to help you.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
Although I am not in my role at the manufacturing plant yet, I can already see how the skills and knowledge can be transferred to what I will be doing. All electrical, electronic, fault finding and maintenance skills can be applied to my maintenance role in the plant. PLC programming and microcontroller coding knowledge as well as my electronic degree work can be applied to my roles later on in the plant towards the end of my apprenticeship when I take on more complex roles.
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
At the plant there are multiple actives that you can undertake in your free time. There is an onsite gym that is free to join, you do however need to apply for membership and there are limited places available. BMW also have held golf competitions in the past that are open to employees.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BMW Group UK to a friend?
Yes
Why?
BMW have provided me with a rare opportunity to both get industry experience and a degree at the same time whilst also being paid, not many employers offer this. They offer a lot of support in the degree and course that I am currently undertaking and will offer further support when I am in placements during the next three years of the apprenticeship.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BMW Group UK?
Get experience working in a job and carry out your own engineering projects prior to applying. This will show that you are willing to learn further and are serious about the type of role you are applying for (i.e. if you are looking to go into electrical engineering, carry out projects using microcontrollers).
Public Relations and Events Assistant
at BMW Group UK
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4.8
