Advanced Manufacturing Technical Engineer Apprentice Review
at BAE Systems
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, Engineering
Warton, Lancashire
Review Submitted: March 2026
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!
3.5/5
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Overview of Role
2/5
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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
Working in the business 4 days a week on various placements gaining direct working experience of the industry
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
There are enjoyable parts and many roles are completely unique. However the mis management of some internal structures related to early careers means that you dont always have a chance to invest yourself in areas of the company
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
2/5
I have developed new skills and gained new insights and experiences. However at this very moment, they are not very well tailored to engineering as a whole or what i as a learner want to become proficient in.
At the moment there is very little freedom to actually develop/curate the skills you want and its often left up to chance.
Those in charge of deciding on placements you will go on (and in turn what skills you learn) have very little actual knowledge of how the company functions or what each team/placement does, meaning some placements wont always be great in developing your engineering knowledge with some placements not fully knowing how to help you as a learner develop.
The Opportunities are there but you have to go out of your way to find them.
At the moment there is very little freedom to actually develop/curate the skills you want and its often left up to chance.
Those in charge of deciding on placements you will go on (and in turn what skills you learn) have very little actual knowledge of how the company functions or what each team/placement does, meaning some placements wont always be great in developing your engineering knowledge with some placements not fully knowing how to help you as a learner develop.
The Opportunities are there but you have to go out of your way to find them.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
2/5
Poor, Early Careers are disconnected from the ongoings within the business and themselves. They don't communicate well between themselves, resulting in a lot of overlapping functions and unclear responsibilities.
Other than the general overall path the apprenticeship will take being readily defined it seems each year details are constantly changing making it hard for anyone including coaches and those in early careers to be confident in different processes. Changes and processes are often not very well communicated to learners or skills coaches causing difficulty in planning for the future.
Other than the general overall path the apprenticeship will take being readily defined it seems each year details are constantly changing making it hard for anyone including coaches and those in early careers to be confident in different processes. Changes and processes are often not very well communicated to learners or skills coaches causing difficulty in planning for the future.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
Limited support, skills coaches are very good in helping and giving support. However from the wider early careers i find we receive very little and are often left to our own devices.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
There is a clear criteria and process to meeting criteria that is easy to track, skills coaches will constantly work with you to help and make sure that you are making progress.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
Gives me an understanding of the industry and a range of functions.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Lots of chances to volunteer and get involved with functions outside the apprenticeship course.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Large variety of roles and chances to move laterally in the company, culture is often friendly and there is room to grow.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
Be genuine. Understand what you want to gain out of it and show that you want to be there and learn.
Being professional and motivated goes a long way in the business.
Being professional and motivated goes a long way in the business.
