Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprentice Review
at Airbus
Degree Apprenticeship
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
Bristol
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
4.9 /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!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.8/5
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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:
5/5
I work as Fuel Systems Degree Apprentice at Airbus in the Control Systems department. My day to day involves working alongside fully qualified engineers and experts in the field as I learn all of the competencies required of a systems engineer. I work on real Airbus projects, not babysitting tasks and in an environment where questions are encouraged and everyone is always willing to help you develop further. I have worked on system design tasks, research tasks, stakeholder and project management tasks and installation investigations. I have also worked on real, live engineering in-service problems, and worked with the team to find a quick, effective and reliable solution.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I love the job I do. I am supported in my studies but also given the independence and flexibility to challenge myself and try new tasks or ways of working. When I have asked for experience in a certain area or the chance to develop a competency, I have been given real work which allows me to improve my skills as an engineer. As an apprentice you are also surrounded by your cohort, and these are people you grow with and come to know really well. You support each other in your degrees but also at work, sharing knowledge and contacts with each other. Finally, the chance to explore the business and try a range of different placements has been phenomenal. I have worked in project management with Chief Engineers all the way through to material testing and science in a lab. It is a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have learnt a whole host of new skills ranging from hands on to modelling and sim and then onto project management. The whole apprenticeship scheme is about developing and learning and improving your skills. Whenever I haven't known how to do something I have had a strong network around me to help guide and teach. I've also developed soft skills such as communication and presentation skills, as well as technical report writing and understanding how to take a complex topic and present it in simple terms.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
The programme is well structured. We are guided through assessments outside of our degree and given the time and support to work towards these in the office. Our degree modules are selected to support us as engineers and give us the solid foundation required to then become graduated engineers. It balances the focus on soft skill competencies and academic learning well.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I have been supported with my education, my development as a professional and with my mental and physical health. Airbus is a fantastic employer to work for and are very supportive with their apprentices. They actively listen to our development and personal goals and provide guidance and opportunities to help achieve these.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Airbus give a lot of support to their Apprentices when working towards qualifications. When degree work stacks up due to assignments and coursework, we are given some flexibility and can ask to do some university work in the office, outside of our university days. We also have the privilege of being sat next to industry experts each day, and often if I am stuck on a university module I can ask my colleagues for guidance.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
It helps massively. Less focus on the degree, but more in particular the soft skills like project and resource management, presenting, writing technical reports, export control training, researching. These are all skills which university touch upon to a certain extent but which the apprenticeship actively trains you in. The difference in my ability as an engineer has changed massively from first year to now (final year) and I believe that is due to my work experience and training.
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
Yes, so many! At Airbus we have something called GenA which is essentially like a university society but at work! They organise key speakers, walks, pub visits, bowling, ice skating, escape rooms, mini golf and so much more. There are also lots of sports groups like rugby at lunch and a number of football teams which face off against each other in a championship. We also have what are called Employee Resource Groups (ERG) which organise a number of speaker sessions and activies such as Gender Diversity ERG, Pride ERG, Social Mobility ERG. Finally we also have the Learning Hub which delivers Airbus' STEM activities and workshops to local schools and early careers are encouraged to volunteer to deliver these workshops, and also to run the Learning Hub.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Airbus to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Its a fantastic place to work and the Apprenticeship is an unmissable opportunity.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Airbus?
Go out and try to get as much experience in engineering as you can. Do that DT project you've been looking at taking part in at school, apply for that work experience you were considering doing (even if it's not at Airbus, interest in Engineering really helps!), take part in that moon base design competition! There really are a whole load of (free) activities and work experience opportunities you can get involved in. Also, always research the company you're applying for, we can always tell if a cover letter is copy-pasted from one application to the next - personalise it wherever possible.
