higher associate project manager apprentice Review
at BAE Systems
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Project Management
Barrow-in-Furness
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
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!
2.5/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
3/5
-
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
Planning. Using planning software, engaging with stakeholders
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
The scheme hasn't been run well, there has been no plan in place throughout the whole apprenticeship. It was advertised as Project Management but when we got here we were told we will be Planners. We were promised a decent pay grade at the end of the apprenticeship and we have been told that isn't happening.
We are now exiting our apprenticeship on a really low pay grade, the lowest that any apprentices get. They say we will have a progress plan in place to move up a pay grade in 6 months, but I have heard by core members of staff that you actually have to wait a year for that to happen.
Things keep being changed, meaning we have to go back and redo all of our work and evidence. There has been no structure or clear guidance. We are now having to rush everything into the last 6 months before gateway because everything has been left last minute. The communication has been rubbish and people keep being put into placements when they know there is no work to do, or the managers are causing problems. It's made me feel like I haven't enjoyed the apprenticeship because of all these things.
We are now exiting our apprenticeship on a really low pay grade, the lowest that any apprentices get. They say we will have a progress plan in place to move up a pay grade in 6 months, but I have heard by core members of staff that you actually have to wait a year for that to happen.
Things keep being changed, meaning we have to go back and redo all of our work and evidence. There has been no structure or clear guidance. We are now having to rush everything into the last 6 months before gateway because everything has been left last minute. The communication has been rubbish and people keep being put into placements when they know there is no work to do, or the managers are causing problems. It's made me feel like I haven't enjoyed the apprenticeship because of all these things.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Planning software skills, improving my people skills, excel
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
2/5
I said this in my previous answer, but there has been no plan with this scheme. They seem to make it up as they go along, don't communicate changes effectively and it is the apprentices that are having to deal with the fallout of it: rushing to get evidence done before gateway starts, a lower pay grade when we exit, having to redo nearly two years worth of work because they keep changing how the evidence should be collated, etc.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
The business itself is great and do offer support, it is just the apprenticeship scheme that has been the frustrating part that has let me down. I'm glad that they aren't running this scheme again.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
No college days and no uni days are a part of the scheme, but there has been no effort from the training provider to get us together to make sure we understand the basics of project management or planning. They expect us to learn it all through placements, but there have been a lot of apprentices that have been placed on placement that are irrelevant, or there's not enough work to learn enough that we need to. It would have been good to still have had a day every week or two weeks where we could get together and learn things about our job role and ask questions, but it feels like we've been left to learn by ourselves.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
Having the PMQ at the end of it will help me in my future 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.)
3/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I would recommend them as they pay better than a lot of other employers, they look after their staff in that there are a lot of perks to being an employee.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
To learn as much as you can about the business and the role and practise your interview answers to make sure they include as many of the key words as possible
