Technical Apprentice Review
at Schneider Electric
Degree Apprenticeship
Engineering
South West England, UK
Review Submitted: May 2022
Overall Rating
3.1 /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!
3.5/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
2.4/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
I mainly work out on site alongside an engineer. I cover BMS in the projects team. We work on new projects where we commission, write software and create graphics for the customer. As I have progressed I have been given greater responsibility to complete tasks on my own. Rarely I am in the office as it is a site based role.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I enjoy the programme as it has given me a chance to work and learn at the same time. The team I work in is small but everyone has a wealth of knowledge which they enjoy passing onto the younger generation. The company helps push you in the direction you want to go in so there is a lot of freedom. The support from the University has been poor though.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Yes, we are studying for a degree in integrated engineering at the University of Lincoln. We attend one week every 9 weeks. Weekly we have lectures after work. We get a lot of internal training on how to use and deploy our products and also on health and safety. The on the job learning is backed up by the training to make you a more rounded engineer.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
2/5
We're offered a lot of training and support for the company. We're now given enough study time although the university structure keeps changing, it has taken them years to sort out what we need to complete our apprenticeship and it has left us with a considerable amount of work to do.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
A lo of support is available from my employer. I am in regular contact with my line manager about training opportunities and projects coming up that I'll be involved in. Everyone I work with is always willing to offer support and all act like mentors to me. Guidance with problems is good as there are always people to talk to about different problems.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
I don't feel like I receive a good standard of support from the University and that we have minimal contact with them. We don't have any tutors but only one person to send issues to. Lecturers are poor and offer minimum support, we're treated as second class students on campus and given minimal module content with full time students getting much more support.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
1/5
The qualification gives us a broader knowledge to what we learn in our daily role, but doesn't contribute directly to our role. I have had perhaps 3-4 relevant modules to my job role out of the 24 modules. The training provider doesn't appear to understand what we do as a business so a lot isn't relatable.
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
There isn't a lot of extra-curricular activities as we have a site based team that are spread across a large region. I only every really see the other engineers and management on online meetings. We do have meet up at Christmas which is good fun. After covid the majority of our team work from home if not on site instead of the office.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Schneider Electric to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I think it is a great company to work for that looks after their employees. The company culture is good and it is a very friendly place to work. There are good opportunities to progress up in the company and move up the career ladder or stay wherever you are happy.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Schneider Electric?
here was one assessment day which lasted half a day and included an interview, team task and a short presentation to deliver about yourself. I think it is a great opportunity to get into a career and there are lots of opportunities that you can go for while on the programme.
