Apprentice Electrician Review
at Balfour Beatty
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Construction
London
Review Submitted: May 2024
Overall Rating
1.2 /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!
1/5
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Overview of Role
1/5
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Skills Development
1.2/5
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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:
1/5
Tedious, repetitive electrical installation work (Cable management systems, metalwork, wiring, etc.)
Lots of rail-specific equipment like rectifiers, HV switchgear, etc. but not a big range outside of this
Lots of rail-specific equipment like rectifiers, HV switchgear, etc. but not a big range outside of this
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
1/5
Not very much; Range of work is limited, and only really suitable for people who are happy with stagnation and repetition.
The apprenticeship aspect of it (assessment, evidencing work, meeting with advisor, etc.) is utterly soul-destroying. I am woefully behind due to an inadequate range of work provided by my employer (to the extent that I don't even think apprentices should have been taken on to this division of Balfour Beatty due to the type of work we undertake)
The apprenticeship aspect of it (assessment, evidencing work, meeting with advisor, etc.) is utterly soul-destroying. I am woefully behind due to an inadequate range of work provided by my employer (to the extent that I don't even think apprentices should have been taken on to this division of Balfour Beatty due to the type of work we undertake)
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
1/5
Yes; Made me more confident with hands-on tasks and power tools, but very little academically; Feel like my mind is rotting. I feel like I should have a LOT more to show for myself having dedicated nearly 5 years of my life to this. Friends of mine have finished uni and started making careers for themselves in this time and I still don't even have a level 3. Embarrassing quite frankly.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
1/5
Extremely poorly; No one in the company fully understands how the scheme is delivered, and the JTL support officers have not been on-the-ball at all. Requests to do different work often fall on deaf ears and the apprentice progress is often allowed to fall far behind.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
2/5
Employers are happy to pay for courses, resources (books, etc.) but they do not understand how the apprenticeship is delivered, or how it is earned (through the use of a portfolio, and witnessed/documented evidence of work done)
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
Assigned an advisor who is often on holiday, and not on the ball; Forced to use "SmartAssessor" which is an awful, proprietary, buggy, unintuitive hellscape of a website to log portfolio work which I get the impression no one will ever be looking at. Feels totally pointless other than just satisfying the minimum number of "Off-the-job" hours.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
1/5
I actually think I am undeserving of the qualification I've spent 4+ years working towards now as the experiences provided to me on site have been inadequate and I don't have the real-world competence necessary to work independently in my role; I'll be qualifying (eventually) but not to a level which I am happy about, and certainly won't be finishing feeling like the 4+ years have been well-spent.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
1/5
Some social activities, but nothing young apprentices would actually be interested in. There is a team-building event which takes place in the lake district but this is a team-working and volunteering task which takes place over many months with a thin veneer of fun in the form of a 2/3 day visit the lake district.
This is wholly incompatible with the rigid timetabling of college and other required absences from work. Participation is mandatory and yet all of the team calls were scheduled right in the middle of my college day. I was then shunned from the group for lack of participation and didn't get to attend the lake district which was a real kick in the teeth. This is despite my repeated outcries to the organiser, who didn't seem interested in offering a solution (different team/day/etc.) so I still haven't been.
This is wholly incompatible with the rigid timetabling of college and other required absences from work. Participation is mandatory and yet all of the team calls were scheduled right in the middle of my college day. I was then shunned from the group for lack of participation and didn't get to attend the lake district which was a real kick in the teeth. This is despite my repeated outcries to the organiser, who didn't seem interested in offering a solution (different team/day/etc.) so I still haven't been.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Balfour Beatty to a friend?
No
Why?
God no; Poor delivery, awful incompetent training organisation, low morale workforce, etc.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Balfour Beatty?
Don't
