Advanced Apprenticeship Designer Review
at BAE Systems
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Engineering
Barrow-in-Furness
Review Submitted: May 2025
Overall Rating
3.6 /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
3.4/5
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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
The work that we do involves working on and designing the various systems within the Dreadnought and . the SSNA programmes. This will include the different electrical systems, mechanical systems & pipework as well as the structure, hull and outfit of the entire submarine. Additionally, we also have to complete a Level 3 BTEC at Furness college and have the option to complete a HNC during our time in the business. We also have to complete a End Point Assessment which is a portfolio of all of our work we have done and what criteria we have met.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
I enjoy the days that we come into the business and do the work that we are highly interested in doing and learning new things from the lead designers. However, the time at college (which is the majority of our time spent within our apprenticeship) has been rather poor with teachers being rather unorganised and us being told various things from different teachers which has made the overall experience pretty poor.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
I believe I have, especially during our Outward Bound course where we were put into groups at random and given the opportunity to complete various different activities and tasks as a team. These tasks involved hiking, camping, jumping off a river into freezing cold water, abseiling and even creating a raft that held the entire team's weight to sail around the tarn without sinking. This developed various skills including communication and teamwork which has further assisted us with how we interact with other colleagues during college.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
I think the overall programme has been pretty unstructured, especially within the college as being told different deadlines and different criteria for our various assignments and subjects (especially project). When we came into the BAE business, there were some discrepancies with where we were going originally and some places that we were meant to have a tour into didn't happen. However, once we got more settled into the business, it started to become a lot more structured as we new where we were going.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I believe that we receive a lot of support from our employer as our early career advisers are always asking questions about how our experience at college is going and any discrepancies that we have with the course is passed onto them so they can have meetings with the college.
They also assign us a skills couch who is there to ensure that we are on track and that we are not stuck on anything and if we are stuck, they will offer us additional support.
They also assign us a skills couch who is there to ensure that we are on track and that we are not stuck on anything and if we are stuck, they will offer us additional support.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
Our training providers offer many various types of support which include extra training if needed (especially if we are stuck with work or finding a task difficult to complete) and provide any additional assistance if we are falling behind on work showing that they are dedicated for us to achieve our qualifications.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I think some of the college work that we do is rather insignificant with some of the subjects that we have to complete (such as Electrical Principles being very different to what Electrical Design is within the business) in order to gain a necessary qualification to advance in the course. Though, I do believe that the HNC and the qualifications we gain after college are very relevant with what we will be doing when we come out of time.
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
At this current moment in time, we haven't done any sort of extra curriculum activities due to us still being mostly in college. However, after talking to various colleagues who are in the higher years, it seems that there is a wide range of different activities that we can partake in which makes it a lot more interesting.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Its good pay, good job security, the work is interesting and very meaningful as we are designing submarines for the protection of our nation and there are many different opportunities to advance in the future whether it involves becoming a lead designer or travelling abroad to either America, Australia or even Saudi Arabia. With all these opportunities, I can't not recommend it.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
My advice for those applying for BAE systems is to the apply yourself with everything including the work that you do in college, in the business and in the extra curricular activities that they have on offer (which I recommend doing) as this will get you recognised by higher ups and show that you have dedication.
