Level 6 Planning Apprentice Review

Item: Level 6 Planning Apprentice at BMW Group UK
Rating: 3.1
Author: Anonymous

at BMW Group UK

Degree Apprenticeship

Automotive Engineering, Manufacturing

Coleshill, Warwickshire

Review Submitted: April 2026

Overall Rating

3.1 /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!

3/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

2.8/5 - 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

I am a Manufacturing Planning Degree Apprentice at BMW Hams Hall. The first year of this course consists of full-time college: 4 days a week doing Level 2 Skills, and 1 day doing a foundation degree in Manufacturing Engineering. During school holidays, the college is closed, so I have had weeks in the factory, getting snippets of the working life.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

3/5

So far, being at college, the program has been fairly good. I have learned lots in college, and I have picked up numerous practical skills like milling, turning, working with hydraulics and pneumatics, and electrical and mechanical maintenance. However, the standard of James Watt BMet college has been poor at times. The course has often been disorganised and not well communicated. Also, the standard of teaching has been poor in some areas.
However, when I am in the factory, the programme is much better, as I learn lots from people around me with lots of working experience. And enjoy being part of projects and solving problems.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

5/5

I have definitely developed many new skills from the course so far. That is the purpose of being in college for the first year of the course. I have learned how to set up and maintain hydraulic circuits and pneumatic circuits. I have learned the basics of mechanical maintenance, including the methods of stripping down components like parts of a lathe.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

1/5

The structure of the course so far has been the worst element of the apprenticeship. As mentioned, the structure of the training provider is poor. There have been times when we have been wandering around the college as a class looking for a classroom. There have also been times when we have been left with no teacher with not really anything to do.
The structure for the time in work when the college is closed is okay. We shadow one of the older apprentices. However, even then I am often left with nothing to do really.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

3/5

The support from the employer has been okay, but has been a little inconsistent. I would have expected that that employer would come into the college more, to have conversations with us about the college and to speak to tutor etc. I have, however, been made to feel that my employer has my back and that they want the training provider to treat me as an adult employee rather than a student.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

2/5

The support from the training provider largely varies depending on the tutor. Some tutors have been really helpful and ensured that we have learned a lot and have been keeping up. However, other tutors or even senior leadership members have been poor. There have been times when they have been absent all day and left us to our own devices. Also some teachers do not pay due care to the class. There are some outstandingly poor teacher, one whom I repeatedly saw asking the questions I asked him to ChatGPT. He clearly did not know enough about the subject to be teaching it. At times I have felt that I have been teaching myself.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

4/5

I haven't had a long time in my role in the factory yet, but from what I can see the skills and ways of thinking that I have picked up in my training will be mostly useful when I start performing my role within the company. For example, it is helpful to learn about Quality Management principles and to see their application in my own company.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

4/5

Yes, there are quite a lot of options for extra curricular activities at work. For example, there is a charity team, a newsletter team. There are football evenings that are organised. However, it would be nice to have more networking events with other apprentices across the country. We have had a training day, learning from an external company.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend BMW Group UK to a friend?

Yes

Why?

The company has many different job roles, and I have seen first hand that it is easy to change lanes and move into different job roles. This is ideal for those who are not sure what job role they will enjoy the most. BMW Group also has great benefits, the group car scheme is great and is a huge perk. The pension is also very good.

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to BMW Group UK?

When you apply, research about the plant that you are applying to. Look into what they manufacture. Research into BMW Group and their core values and evaluate to see if its somewhere you want to work. It is ideal for you to be interested in BMW Group's products if you are going to be working for them.

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