Level 3 Maintenance Technician Apprentice Review
at BMW Group UK
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Automotive Engineering
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Review Submitted: March 2025
Overall Rating
4 /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
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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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
I am a 1st year Maintenance Technician apprentice at Plant Hams Hall. 1st year for most engineering roles at BMW Group is fully education based. We are in college 5 times a week learning different units like Fluid Power, Mechanical Maintenance, Electrical Maintenance and many different units. College is quite different to school as everything is very hands-on other than Thursday's which is B-Tech day which is mainly theory based. College normally starts at 9 and finishes around 4 and sometimes earlier. B-Tech day is from 9am-6pm
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I do enjoy the programme due to how different it is from school. You are able to visualise a lot of the work you do and see the results. The programme is enjoyable as tutors and managers care about your progress and as long as you try hard and focus, you will enjoy the programme. I am excited to get into plant and actually work on some projects.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt many new skills in lesson like Bench and Lathe as these lessons are very hands-on. These lessons can be quite independent but tutors are there to support when needed. I have developed my hand-skills which was very different to sixth form. Also developed my practical knowledge in electrics as well.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Our employers are quite clear on what they want for you and how the programme is structured however college can be unorganised. It sometimes feel like college is a waste of time but over time it should get better. College can lack communication but tutors are mostly helpful and kind. College is set on what units you will do in each block however there may be some confusion in order to cater for all groups and companies.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
Employers are always there to support. Our current managers visit the college weekly to check on the apprentices and they are always available to talk in privately if needed. Any worries can be conveyed to them and they will try to their best to sort out any issues. BMW will try to get you into plant during some half terms so you can gain some experience and see how plant will be when you are there 4 days a week in 2nd year.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
Training provider do support you to get your qualification and go beyond it for you to excel in your units. They offer help when you need it. Some tasks like UPK's which are paragraph based on what you have done in each unit can be quite independent but you can still go to tutors to ask for support.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
The qualification is very wide and it ranges from many different skills. BMW and college uses this education method of teaching many different topics to allow you to see what topics you enjoy and possibly transfer to different roles if you enjoy one in particular. Many skills you will not use in your role however it is good to learn to have some experience in a bit of everything.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes at the start of your apprenticeship you will visit Skern Lodge which is a residential trip to bring you closer to people on your course and from all different plants across the UK. You do many different team-building activities and learn transferable skills you can apply to college and plant. There is also a 5 aside football team at BMW Hams Hall where they play games once a week.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BMW Group UK to a friend?
Yes
Why?
They care about your development and look at how they can assist you in whatever way they can. It's a academic qualification which is completely free, you gain experience and you also get paid. BMW is a very large and diverse company that offer many different roles in different departments.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BMW Group UK?
Try to get some hands-on experience before applying to talk about during interviews and be confident that it is possible for you to get a position here even if there are many people that do apply. Learn about the company as a whole and learn what in specific your plant does.
Public Relations and Events Assistant
at BMW Group UK
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- Farnborough, Hampshire
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4.8
