ETO Technical Apprentice Review
at Cummins
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Computer Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Darlington
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 am in my 4th and final year now of my apprenticeship, working in electronic controls systems, where i assist with in field issues relating to engine electronics e.g. ECM controls. this involves completing a lot of testing, problem solving and data analytics to help solve the issues in hand. As well as this I am also preparing for my EPA by making my portfolio and observation. I have completed my HNC at New College Durham last year.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I really enjoy the programme, recently the apprenticeship got taken over by new management, which was a good thing as the structure has changed quite a lot, mainly to do with rotations, as we rotate through 8 - 12 departments through our entire apprenticeships, it has changed slightly to where we spend 3rd year in two 6 month stints and the 4th year in a 1 year stint, this has made it much better as we get more time to learn the job as well as understand the principles of each department, which has helped me actually decide where i want to work in the future.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have developed lots of skills during this apprenticeship, my engine knowledge is one of them, as well as problem solving, teamwork, communication and time management, this is all down to apprentice projects, longer department stints as well as targeting KSBs, which we have regular meetings with our manager to go over these to help prepare us for apprenticeship completion
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
Very good, the scheme is well organized
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I have regular 1:1 meetings with my manager to discuss any concerns or just general information
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
now i have finished HNC, we have little interaction with college, however we go in on the last Friday of every month, where we meet for OTJ hours purposes and to prepare for EPA, however, it is often we didnt see our apprenticeship coordinator when we go there very much which makes it hard to know the plan for our EPA, however, aside form this all good
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
much better it helps with understanding various engineering principles, as i often use some calculations i learnt at college like bending moments and clamp load etc.
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
we have EEEC event which involve helping the community. also got the opportunity to go to London for apprenticeship week, where I got to network with various companies and MPs in the houses of parliament
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Cummins to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a great apprenticeship, and its a good gateway into engineering as you can start straight from 16 and due to the rotation of various departments it can help you work out what you want to do as a career, as you get to see how Cummins operates in the plant as well as the technical facility.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Cummins?
Try and understand what the company does, their plan for the future and try and align your skills with the companies
