Apprentice Review
at British Airways
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
Rhoose / Y Rhws
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
4.1 /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
3.6/5
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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
Within the apprenticeship for British Airways I have been working within the avionics department, carrying out fault diagnosis on complex equipment such as transceivers and Emergency Locator Transmitters.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
Every day is a different challenge with something new to learn. The college course was interesting and engaging throughout.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have been trained for numerous different skillsets, such as surface level soldering of components, reading and understanding complex circuit diagrams and component maintenance manuals. Within college I received training on how to rivet and work sheet metal.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
We had some trouble with structure and organisation within the apprenticeship since it was reintroduced after COVID. We had trouble contacting the employer during our first year based in college and some large decisions were given to us at the last minute. Since then I have noticed that with the newer apprentices the communication and organisation has gotten much better than with our year and BA is constantly working to improve this.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Everyone within avionics is extremely supportive and happy to answer any questions you have, they are willing to show and explain to you what they are doing and why it is necessary. Managers are accommodating and willing to help you if you are struggling or have things going on outside of work and you need some flexibility.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
The support is pretty good for allowing you to get your qualifications, the only difficulty can be with the NVQ. I did not experience this due to the cell i was stationed in but others have had difficulties fulfilling the requirements of the NVQ within their cell due to the work they are carrying out not meeting the needs of the qualification. Management are willing to let people move around to a different cell to complete work logs but this is usually only for a day, which can make it difficult to learn a new job and write up the steps in a day.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I feel that my NVQ qualification definitely fits for my job role, but due to the earlier mentioned communication difficulties, our year started off doing a mechanical qualification before switching to working on electrical systems within the second year of the apprenticeship. This makes us feel that our mechanical qualification does not quite fit the work we are currently carrying out.
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
We are sometimes given the opportunity to take part in activities such as volunteering to help clean some ponds at Bristol Zoo or to represent British Airways at careers events. Outside of this there is a yearly Christmas dinner that is organised by the employees and BA contributes money towards food for everyone. A work trip to somewhere like Heathrow has been mentioned but has not happened yet.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend British Airways to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Overall I feel like this is a very good apprenticeship which is improving over time to iron out any problems along the way. British Airways is always willing to take feedback and to try and improve the apprenticeship where possible. The qualifications set you up well to carry on in the industry once you finish and a British Airways apprenticeship will always make you stand out on a CV.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to British Airways?
Be aware that the application process takes a long time. Recruitment begins in November for new apprentices in September of the next year. This process involves an online interview, a skills test and an in person interview.
