EDAS Aero Apprentice Review
at BAE Systems
Degree Apprenticeship
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
Preston
Review Submitted: March 2025
Overall Rating
3.2 /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!
3.5/5
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Overview of Role
3/5
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Skills Development
2.6/5
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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:
3/5
My role as an apprentice involves rotating round 6 month long placements in various teams, learning about what they do and completing work for that team. Examples of placements include design, through life support, health and safety etc.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I am really enjoying my current placement, however depending on your own interests some placements may not be as interesting or helpful as others. My current team are all really helpful and welcoming, and I find the work I am doing very interesting and analytical.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
New skills I've learnt include: MATLAB and Simulink as analytical tools, Jira and Confluence for organisation and teamworking. I have also improved my networking, confidence and professionalism as my role involves interacting with many different people in different capacities.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Many changes have been made to the structure of my programme recently. I would say the way placements are allocated could be improved to take into account an individuals own aspirations and interests.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
My line manager has been very helpful and understanding when issues have arisen, and they have all been resolved in a timely manner and with lots of support from the Early Careers department. Every issue that I have raised has been dealt with appropriately and the matter resolved.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
College provide little support with assignments and teaching. Staff are difficult to contact and rarely provide feedback. Assignment criteria change weekly, meaning oftentimes hours of assignment work I have completed has been rendered obsolete as it is no longer relevant. Lessons can be very difficult to follow, particularly maths/physics based lectures as the slides are moved through extremely quickly, and any questions often don't get answered clearly.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
2/5
My qualification as completed so far doesn't really apply to my placement work as it is quite specific. Later modules sound as though they would apply more, but it largely depends on what area of engineering you want to specialise in/what placements you are allocated.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Apprentices run their own socials every month, which is a great opportunity to meet older apprentices from different cohorts. Professional networking events take place regularly, with lots of opportunities for seminars and tours etc. There are no BAE official sports teams that I am aware of, however I know it is common for teams to organise their own events e.g rock climbing is a common activity among apprentices.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Lots of opportunities within the business, it is relatively easy to move roles to find what works best for you. It is such a large organisation that there are so many roles to choose from, especially in engineering. You could really specialise in any area that interests you (depending on business need).
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
When applying to BAE Systems, make sure you research the company beforehand. My main piece of advice would be to find a product that really interests you that you would be able to speak about in an interview, for example I spoke about my interest in PHASA-35. It shows that you are interested in BAE Specifically and that you genuinely have an interest for engineering.
