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Advanced Apprentice Mechanical Fitter Review

at BAE Systems

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Mechanical Engineering

Portsmouth

Review Submitted: March 2025

Overall Rating

3.1 /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
4/5 - Skills Development
2.4/5 - 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
Learning bench fitting skills, writing reports on different learning modules such as materials, hydraulics, engineering communications. Disassembling engines, learning mechanical principles. Presenting power points.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I enjoy getting hands on with bench fitting and mechanical assembly. I enjoy learning about technical drawing and materials. I enjoy learning in general but there's not always a lot of support or clear expectations, deadlines change.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Developed report writing skills, learned about tools to use when bench fitting, basic engineering principals, parts of a diesel engine, health and safety, technical drawing, material properties. Developed public speaking, research.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?
1/5
Not very, they changed the apprenticeship standard mid way through, and the modules get swapped around last minute, sometimes we're rushed, sometimes we're waiting for things to do. Could definitely be improved
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
Lots of support from learning support department, lots of support groups exist for different minorities but don't seem to do much. They've supported my disabilities well, but are a bit clueless about how to support queer or transgender apprentices.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
They often provide clear marking guidance for tasks, but very little information about overall course structure. Lots of being shown online software to submit work that doesn't ever get used.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
I wouldn't be capable of performing the role without the training, and the learning provides supplemental information that may be useful later in the role, but unsure how useful it is currently. Health and safety learning provided through the qualification is very useful.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
2/5
yes but they are hard to access, they are more for the business side of things, less for the workers. I've not been shown how to get involved with any of them or what most of them are. Those that do know know through word of mouth mostly, from having friends who know.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Well regarded, decent money for an apprenticeship which leads to more money and usually a guaranteed role. Qualification is useful, and the provider offers support for people with health issues and tries to be diverse. The actual diversity of the apprentice body is poor but that's changing. While the management of the role has been poor, and the delivery of learning inconsistent, it still provides a good base of knowledge and a solid career path afterwards.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
Lean into the corporate stuff initially, demonstrate that you fit their idea of the business culture, and once you're in your role, don't stress too much. Seek out all the resources available to you and use them, join the union, ask questions about the work. Try not to get too frustrated with bench fitting. After the first year its mostly practical stuff, actually doing the work, so you'll learn most of it there. Rolling with the changes and not working too hard is a good thing.
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