Apprentice Engineer Review
at BAE Systems
Degree Apprenticeship
Cyber Security
Portsmouth
Review Submitted: March 2025
Overall Rating
3.3 /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
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Overview of Role
3/5
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Skills Development
3/5
-
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
My role is getting involved with business projects from a cyber security perspective. On the day-to-day, this involves supporting on completion of security documentation, helping to conducted tests and reviews at different sites and studying for professional certifications to further my industry knowledge.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I enjoy my programme most of the time but feel that I could be challenged more, sometimes I feel like my capabilities are underestimated because of my title as "Apprentice".
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
I have learned more about the process of designing secure systems from start to finish, ensuring cyber security is built-in. I have furthered my interpersonal, presentation and programming skills.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Overall quite well structured, we move teams within the business every 12 months which is a great way to see different roles and opportunities.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
2/5
My manager within my current team is great but I feel that the support from the Early Careers Team could be better. I have spoken with them about a couple of issues and haven't received the level of support I would have liked, and one issue in particular was not dealt with in an appropriate way.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
A good level of support is provided by Cranfield University. We have fortnightly lectures with lecturers from the university and they are always quick to respond to emails between these lectures if we need support. They are also always very quick to provide feedback on assignments and any work we do.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
At the moment I don't feel that it is making too much of a difference due to me only starting the apprenticeship 6 months ago. As time goes on, I think I will be able to apply more of my learning to my work roles when I start studying my specialism modules.
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
There are lots of extra-curricular activities available at my work, there are sports clubs like a fortnightly run club, networking events, mentoring programs, lots of social activities such as pub quizzes.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
No
Why?
Having worked in a few places prior to joining BAE Systems, I've noticed that a lot of internal processes and technologies within the business are very outdated which makes it very difficult to keep up-to-date with the latest ways of working and it takes a lot longer to complete tasks (and complete them well). Therefore, it makes me feel that if I ever come to leave the business I will be at a disadvantage going to another company with very modern ways of working.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
Keep things very professional, BAE value a traditional and business-smart approach to working.
