Aircraft Maintenance Technician Apprentice Review

Item: Aircraft Maintenance Technician Apprentice at Boeing UK
Rating: 4.9
Author: Anonymous

at Boeing UK

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering

Odiham

Review Submitted: February 2024

Overall Rating

4.9 /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!

5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

4.8/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

5/5

No two days are the same fixing Chinooks. My day can vary from cleaning the aircraft at the beginning of the maintenance check to changing engines or removing/fitting rotor blades. You can get involved in every system, be it mechanical or avionic, learning from highly skilled individuals in Boeing and the RAF.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

5/5

I really enjoy this programme! We have the opportunity to work in various departments to expand our knowledge of the business; work on continuous improvement projects and gain LEAN qualifications; do outreach with schools and charities to promote STEM and our programme; as well as work on a wide range of aircraft.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

Since joining I have picked up a wide variety of skills, including soft skills (e.g. time management, effective communication, public speaking and innovation) and and aircraft maintenance specific skills (e.g. mechanical hand skills, aircraft safety and hazard awareness, fault diagnosis and an in-depth understanding of on-board systems). Every day you learn something new and pick up additional skills from the teams.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

5/5

From day one we know what our three years is going to look like. The first year is spent in college to sit exams and learn the basic hand skills needed for on the job training. Then in second and third year you do 4 x 6 month placements on different platforms before graduation.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

We have very supportive managers who have years of experience within an aircraft maintenance environment, so they are very understanding of any issues we may have and are quick to solve them. Even out on OJT, the teams we work with are keen to help us learn and become the best techs we can be.

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

4/5

Our training provider carries out regular site visits so we have face-to-face time to discuss our progress, and issues we have and to provide support with our coursework. When they are not on site, we are able to get support via email or the online portal and they are quick to respond.

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

5/5

The A-license exams we sit during first year helps us to have a solid foundation of aircraft knowledge which we go on to expand during OJT. This alongside our NVQ's helps us to learn more about health and safety, aircraft systems as well as how the business works (as a whole and at each site we go to).

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

As apprentices we have the opportunity to get involved with STEM and become Boeing STEM Ambassadors. This allows us to go to airshows, The Houses of Parliament, conferences, careers fairs and STEM events at schools/colleges/universities. We also have REACH which is focused around charity and fundraising for local and national causes.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Boeing UK to a friend?

Yes

Why?

Joining Boeing was the best decision I made at the end of sixth form. I have grown so much both professionally and personally since joining the programme. As I am now nearing the end of my programme I can safely say that I have grown into a competent technician and I have fallen further in love with aviation.

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Boeing UK?

During the application stage be your authentic self. It can be a daunting experience when you are competing with so many people, but have confidence in your skills and what you bring to the table and allow it to shine through. You don't have to have prior aviation qualifications to be accepted onto the programme, nor to excel once you're on it.

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