Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprentice Review
at BAE Systems
Degree Apprenticeship
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
Warton, Preston PR4, UK
Review Submitted: March 2025
Overall Rating
2.4 /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!
3/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
1.8/5
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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:
4/5
This is dependent on the work at the time but could involve designing circuits, fault finding or admin.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
I enjoy my program as there are many opportunities to excel. However, these are not always obvious and can be hard to find. There are a number of areas in this programme that also relate more to management and admin work which I did not expect. There are also numerous issues regarding the teaching/training provider with degree teaching content containing mistakes, large wait times on exam results and little feedback on assignments. As of now I enjoy the workplace aspect of the program however, it is likely that we may no longer be given the choice to decide where to work within the company which will have a significant impact on how much I enjoy the programme.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Yes, I have learnt a number of new technical skills in design and electronics software as well as presentation skills
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
1/5
There have been a number of organisation issues with the programme since I started. Myself and others where provided with incorrect lists of placements and it was left to ourselves how we might solve this. There have also been issues with secondment expenses and having to pay for expenses out of our own pockets and then wait months before we are reimbursed. There have also been changes regarding how much control we have over the areas we can work in and now it is likely we will no longer be able to choose exit roles (which last up to 2 years). This is different to our impression of the scheme when we first started as for the past 3 years we have been told that we can pick these roles, only for this to be changed a few months before we start these roles and we have no control over this.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Our programme lead is incredibly supportive and easy to get in touch with. Despite having so many apprentices to look after he is still very approachable and quick to listen to our concerns.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
Our training provider does provide feedback and support however this is very little. When asking for feedback on assignments or exams we usually only receive one or two sentences and following submission we sometimes do not receive feedback at all. A number of teaching slides and past papers have contained incorrect information and we have previously had exams containing incorrect questions that would be impossible to answer. A key note about the training provider is that many of these concerns have been raised multiple times over the past few years and they have still not been addressed.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
1/5
I believe that the majority of my learning has originated through workplace experience and there has been little information that I have learnt through my training provider that has helped me perform better in my role
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
1/5
There are networking events available to meet placement managers, however these are often poorly communicated and almost not necessary as many people are no longer able to choose where we can work within the company. The apprentices for my programme have organised a socials team which has events each month, however this is something that the apprentices chose to do themselves and has only started in the past year.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Despite the many concerns I have raised here, I still believe that there are many opportunities to excel in the company if you are able to find them. However, this is entirely dependent on the type of person you are and I think this apprenticeship would be most beneficial to those who are outgoing and ambitious. However, if it is decided that apprentice are no longer able to pick their exit roles then i would not recommend this apprenticeship as many of the roles required are often admin based and not technical.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
To collect as much experience as possible within engineering before applying and thoroughly understand what the apprenticeship has to offer.
