Apprentice Technical Engineer Review
at BAE Systems
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
Preston
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
1.9 /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!
2.5/5
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Overview of Role
1/5
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Skills Development
1.8/5
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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:
3/5
i am currently studying at the ASK on a monday, completing various collage classes. tues to fri am on onsite in Warton working in 1 of the 5 placements i will experience as an apprentice
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
the collage i find to be incredibly frustrating. rooms are not assigned consistently if at all, this point ahs been raised to early careers where we were told this issue would be sorted - it has not been and still remains an issue.
there is a lack of support for the completion of collage work in the ASK - our level 3 project assignment requires CAD drawings and yet no access to business CAD software is available. TINA is required for electrical principles but is cloud based and fails constantly, with the only solution being "don't all use it at the same time". an individual licence costs £250 for downloadable software, and assumptions can be made that i would be cheaper for educational purposes, why is this not done for the benefit of the students.
there is a lack of support for the completion of collage work in the ASK - our level 3 project assignment requires CAD drawings and yet no access to business CAD software is available. TINA is required for electrical principles but is cloud based and fails constantly, with the only solution being "don't all use it at the same time". an individual licence costs £250 for downloadable software, and assumptions can be made that i would be cheaper for educational purposes, why is this not done for the benefit of the students.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
1/5
my excel skills have improved dramatically, but this is not due to the teachings at the ASK. they are simply due to necessity of the placements that i have been put on and has forced me to learn independently.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
1/5
there has been little to no support regarding collage issues we have been having such as room allocations and software issues etc. meetings have been held to listen to our issues but no actual outcomes have been made.
placements have not been structured at all. an understanding is given due to maternity leave and long term sicknesses, but no steps have been made, that we are aware of to fix this problem in the short. as we understand and have been told, our placement manager will return off maternity and sort placements for us after that point. this is not a solution i this is acceptable and makes the assumption that they will return as a given, is this a risk that should be taken?
placements have not been structured at all. an understanding is given due to maternity leave and long term sicknesses, but no steps have been made, that we are aware of to fix this problem in the short. as we understand and have been told, our placement manager will return off maternity and sort placements for us after that point. this is not a solution i this is acceptable and makes the assumption that they will return as a given, is this a risk that should be taken?
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
my current manger in my role is exceptional, however this cannot be said for my previous manager, where i was left without work for the entirety of my 4 month placement.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
1/5
the only support from early careers since leaving the ASK full time is from my skills coach. any other communication with early careers are downplayed, gaslight, or ignored completely forcing, in my opinion, unnecessary escalation.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
1/5
the work we are doing in collage seem completely irrelevant to the work i am asked to perform in the business. being asked by managers in the business if i know about x and have not been taught this at all is embarrassing as an apprentice.
also the work taught in the first year of the ASK a a tech apprentice was also most pointless. with the exception of CAD and software.
also the work taught in the first year of the ASK a a tech apprentice was also most pointless. with the exception of CAD and software.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
1/5
no
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAE Systems to a friend?
No
Why?
in its current state the tech apprenticeship is woefully lacking. it is sold on the lie of being a practical role - it is not. at best a tech role in the business will be 50% hands on 50% desk based but these exit roles are maybe 1% of the roles we will be able to entre into.
the current pay discrepancy between tech and craft creates nothing but resentment and needs to be dealt with much quicker and in my opinion should be being handled by more that just the unions.
current hours discrepancy between tech and craft has also not been addressed and any querys for updates on the situation are left ignored.
i would say as a tech apprentice and as a cohort we feel severely let down by early careers and the business has a whole, being regarded as less valuable than craft apprentices even though being required to complete a higher standard of learning.
the current pay discrepancy between tech and craft creates nothing but resentment and needs to be dealt with much quicker and in my opinion should be being handled by more that just the unions.
current hours discrepancy between tech and craft has also not been addressed and any querys for updates on the situation are left ignored.
i would say as a tech apprentice and as a cohort we feel severely let down by early careers and the business has a whole, being regarded as less valuable than craft apprentices even though being required to complete a higher standard of learning.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BAE Systems?
apply for craft - it a better deal and that's not likely to change.
