Level 6 Lab Technician Review
at BMW Group UK
Degree Apprenticeship
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Review Submitted: March 2025
Overall Rating
3.8 /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
3.8/5
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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:
3/5
For the final year of my apprenticeship, I am focussing on developing specific lab-based skills. I have finished any long-placements in other departments but am still organising short placements with some other departments around the plant. My role mostly involves routine testing on the chemistry side, working with test equipment such as the titrator, refractometer, viscometer as well as performing tests such as acid splits to determine oil content of production fluids. Ad hoc investigations may also come in from time to time where I can support, which could involve either chemical testing or metallurgical testing. This can involve sectioning, sample mounting, hardness testing, microstructural analysis and use of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
The nature of the job means that there can be dry spells when there is a drop in investigation requests. However, the management of my programme has been great in terms of managing the final year of my degree and working in my home department. I have found the arrangement of placements in other departments to be very straightforward due to the enthusiasm from associates and a keen attitude in teaching apprentices.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
The development of skills has slowed in my final year. I now feel I am settling into the role. However, there has still been a clear effort made from my manager to outline areas I will still develop for the remainder of my apprenticeship. This has given me the opportunity to plan training in another lab located in Oxford to gain insight from the experts there. There are also some gaps to be filled with training from the lead Metallurgist here.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
The final year of my programme has been well organised. Now that the focus is on sharpening my skills to take on a full-time role in the lab, my manager has outlined what is left for me to focus on before finishing my apprenticeship. I have the support of an apprentice manager for any other queries, and each time I've had an issue, they've been very helpful.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
My employer has been very supportive along the course of my apprenticeship. From my experience, apprentices are made to feel valued and the resources surrounding us mean that we can feel confident in raising any concerns. In my department, weekly meetings offer an opportunity to discuss workload and how it should be distributed across the team. All lab associates are regularly interacting and there is a transparency in the team on what work should be done and who should do it.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
Now that I am completing the final year of my degree in Manufacturing Engineering, I have been assigned a supervisor to support my project. We have weekly meetings to check how I am progressing with the project and he will often outline amendments I should make by next week. I also have an academic mentor who can provide feedback on my project report before it is submitted.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I believe that the Manufacturing Engineering degree has been mostly beneficial for supporting my role. There have been certain modules, such as Advanced Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, that directly relate to my job. However, the project I intended to do which related directly to the lab did not satisfy the project supervisor due to a lack of engineering content, so he recommended more of a focus on robotics. This is still beneficial in improving my knowledge as an engineer, but specifically in the lab it is hard to see a direct relation.
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 many activities to get involved in outside of work. Football is organised on a weekly basis whilst there is also the opportunity to join a corporate golf membership at the Belfry. Events are regularly arranged such as charity fundraisers, as well as some events supporting and raising awareness for health and wellbeing.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BMW Group UK to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The BMW Group is a great company to work for. From my experience, the staff involved in the organisation of the apprenticeship make you feel valued and supported. For future career progression, there are multiple plants around the UK, as well as opportunities to work abroad such as in Germany. The qualifications and experience gained from the apprenticeship can provide you with a great career.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BMW Group UK?
Prior to starting, I wish I fully understood how great the change in daily activities are throughout the apprenticeship. For me personally, the first year was spent purely at college and mostly involved learning hands-on skills such as turning, bench work and milling. After this first year, most of my time was spent at work in the lab or on placement, shadowing or picking up responsibilities which is where by far the most valuable experience is gained. For how my apprenticeship was structured, patience is required to fully appreciate the benefits of the apprenticeship.
