Project Manager Review
at British Airways
Degree Apprenticeship
Business Operations
Heathrow Airport (LHR), Longford TW6, UK
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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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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:
5/5
I am currently working as a project manager - a permanent role I secured after competing the Future Leaders Graduate Program at British Airways. In my role, I am responsible for the delivery of projects, with my most recent assignment delivering major upgrades to the network infrastructure, phone systems, and call agent software.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
Whilst there have been very tough times, especially during the pandemic when I was placed on furlough for an extended length of time, I have mainly enjoyed my program. It has seen me work in a number of different areas across the business, as well as studying a masters degree
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
The Degree Apprenticeship program has seen me complete a Masters Degree (Masters of Science) in Leadership and Management. Throughou the program, I have studied a range of different topics including strategy, finance, marketing, leadership, change management, innovation and more. These have been very useful skills to apply to my role
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
I joined on the Future Leaders Graduate Program, and am completing a degree apprenticeship on the side. The Future Leaders element is very well structured, and designed to give me broad experience across British Airways. The degree element is also well structured, and it is clear how the modules and assessments are laid out
How much support do you receive from your employer?
2/5
My line manager has been very supportive throughout the program, and supports me to achieve the best in the work I do - both for the masters degree and in my day to day work. Where I am let down is the support given by the British Airways Apprenticeship team. The definining memory is when one of their managers announced our contract offer was going to be withdrawn - which was delivered in such a heartless way
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
This has been very poor. I was only asigned a supervisor for my bi-monthly progress reviews two years into the degree apprenticeship - and at this point I only had 6 months to go. Thankfully I do now have this, although progress meetings sometimes feel very tick box
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
Competiting a degree apprenticeship in Leadership and Management has been very relevant for my role. The skills and knowledge I have gained are broad, and I have also had the chance to focus on areas of particular interest for me. I am currently completing my final project on Agile Project Management, which is a great way to enhance my project management knowledge
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
This has been impacted by the pandemic, where social activities were not possible. There are plans to restart more social aspects. But, on the teams I have worked on, we make the effort to go for team lunches, post-work drinks, and had a team building session playing mini golf to celebrate the completion of our project
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend British Airways to a friend?
Yes
Why?
British Airways has been a great place to work. I have been offered a lot of unique experiences, such as flying as cabin crew, working on big projects, and experiencing a wide range of placements. I have grown quickly in my role, and have been promoted quickly. Additionally, staff travel...!
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to British Airways?
Focus on why you want to work for British Airways in particular, and what makes us different compared to our competitiors. Focus on what you can offer to British Airways (in terms of skills / attributes etc) , and what you hope you will gain from your chosen apprenticeship or graduate scheme
