Apprentice electrical engineer Review
at BAE Systems
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Engineering
Portsmouth
Review Submitted: May 2023
Overall Rating
3.9 /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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.2/5
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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
Various roles depending on placement that is chosen, with a 1 day college release per week where the college is online. Before you choose a placement you have 3 months training in the development centre to teach you basic skills such as electrical and mechanical theories as well as a bench-fitting unit.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I find my programme very enjoyable as there is a good variety of work to do and you are often doing different things and learning new skills. All staff are very helpful if you need help which means you can be confident that you are doing the right thing and you can always ask for help.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have both learnt new skills and developed existing skills. Teamworking skills are improved from day 1 as you are constantly engaging with people inside and outside of the business. The college release helps strengthen your knowledge and theoretical understanding, whereas placement develops your practical skills and problem solving abilities .
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The placement scheme is well structured as you change at regular interviews and have reviews with managers from both placement and from the training centre to check that you are on track and are doing well. As the college is on-line, at first I found that it was slightly disorganised but this has since improved and the people who manage this have listened to our concerns and acted on them.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
I receive any support that is needed from my employer. When I am struggling with a job on site I can ask anyone if I need anything. When I had a day off due to sickness all staff were very helpful and supportive including a 'back to work review' in case I had missed anything while I was ill and how to catch up. However, some of the college staff are slow to reply over email.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
The training provider is improving at giving support, however it is not at the level which I would like it to be. I think the fact that the course is online means that it is hard for me to contact the training provider when I am not in my online lesson.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
I feel that the different units in the qualification benefit different placements better to others, such as the project unit which benefits managerial based placements. The science units have helped me with my work but I think there should be more focus on electrical units to further benefit my work.
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 are social events both arranged by apprentices and arranged by the business. This includes nights such as karaoke, bowling, and then some STEM projects within the business, and us apprentices arrange football meetings and try to have regular meals to catch up with each other. This is mostly arranged outside of work though.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The apprenticeship has a good amount of variety, pays very well and you get a good meaningful qualification at the end of it. All of the staff are helpful both in the college and in the workplace so if you get into any issues, you can be assured someone will help out whatever they are.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
Apply early as the processing can be slow and you need to have security clearance checks in order to get the job. The company that processes applications can also be quite slow in replying to any issues you have in emails, and the application process is also quite drawn out.
