Upholstery Apprentice Review

Item: Upholstery Apprentice at BMW Group UK
Rating: 2.8
Author: Anonymous

at BMW Group UK

Level 2 Apprenticeship

Engineering

Chichester

Review Submitted: April 2023

Overall Rating

2.8 /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

5/5 - Skills Development

1.8/5 - 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 daily roles can change depending on what placement i am in. When i first started my apprenticeship last year i was on the line learning the process of how a car is built. I was very tedious and hard at first since it was my first job i've had however the skills i leant whilst i was there have helped me to get to where i am today. Now my day tasks are tasks i set myself as i've been given projects to do.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

I enjoy the program very much. However if you would of asked me this question when i first started it would be the exact opposite. Just like with most things in life it takes time to like something. Since i first started it definitely had it's ups and downs. But i think the more you put in the more you get out with this apprenticeship.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

When i started my apprenticeship i didn't really know much about cars or manufacturing. On my first day i was told to sew a circle with a sewing machine and i was unsuccessful. Today i have developed so many skills whilst i've been here. I am able to sew , cover interior parts , build seats and use a varierty of admin programs that would help me outside of rolls-royce. This apprenticeship has also improved my social skills and i feel more comfortable when talking to people

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

1/5

Here is where the apprentice isn't the best. I don't think the apprenticeship is very organized at all. I can see the managers and advisors do try their best when managing the apprentices however it's just a mess. Theres 70+ apprentices to only 1 person organizing them. I think there should be more helpers in HR to manage all these apprentices. Because some days it's just awful trying to contact the advisor when it's something important.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

2/5

Not that much support form them. I rarely see them at all and sometimes it's just feels like i don't even exist to them. However my Trainer is someone i go to daily if i have any problems or questions and she's really supportive. Without her i would be lost on this apprenticeship.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

1/5

The college teacher tried her best and wants us to succeed however the college is just so disconnected from the apprenticeship. It feels like the admin side of college just doesn't even exists. They say they have a whole team at college for apprentices however I've never seen them once. I only heard they have a apprentice team because we have to do mandatory training and they request for us to do it.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

2/5

My qualification only helps me with learning what names of tools are. Doesn't relate to work at all unless i was planning to work in sewing. However i appreciate the skills i learn at college as i know they will be helpful one day.