Level 3 Mechatronics Technician Apprentice Review

Item: Level 3 Mechatronics Technician Apprentice at BMW Group UK
Rating: 3.3
Author: Anonymous

at BMW Group UK

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Automotive Engineering, Engineering, Manufacturing

Coleshill, Warwickshire

Review Submitted: April 2026

Overall Rating

3.3 /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!

3/5 - Overview of Role

4/5 - Skills Development

3.2/5 - 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 currently training to become a Level 3 Mechatronics Technician for BMW Hams Hall and I am in my first year of the four year apprenticeship. My current day-to-day looks like college training five times a week where I learn various hands on modules and have begun my BTEC work. During half terms when college is closed I come into BMW Hams Hall Plant and shadow either 2nd or 3rd year apprentices to gain knowledge and see what its like to work in the actual plant.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

3/5

I find my programme decently enjoyable, being in plant is a lot more enjoyable than being at the college as I feel like I'm actually at work, gaining valuable knowledge of the actual workplace I'm training to work and from others who have worked here longer. The BMet college training itself is valuable as it prepares us for industry, however the less enjoyable parts is when the college can be disorganised in terms of giving us the structure of our course, giving us competent tutors for our modules and overall communication. I've been surprised with some of the standard of teaching at times and the lack of communication to apprentices about coursework, i.e completing block reviews and explaining things like SmartAssessor and X200. I personally would rate it higher if the educational institution standards were better as it is what you'd expect from a leading automotive company.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

I have definitely learned new skills/knowledge, and refined other skills I have already adopted as the course consists of a good mixture of hands on modules and written work, which is what I personally prefer.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

2/5

In my opinion the structure of the programme is the worst element of the apprenticeship, the college is full time in the first year, however the college itself is not great in terms of teaching, communication and logistics. When at plant in the holidays, I shadow 2nd and 3rd year apprentices on random placements and complete random jobs, some of which aren't even relevant to my role and I think our time in plant, which is more valuable than college, should be better organised as we aren't in much during the first so this time is vital for us to learn and develop at the actual workplace.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

2/5

In terms of support, I feel as if we are sometimes neglected while we are at college, our managers do not come in, there are no 1-1s and we only contact them via message or email. I was under the impression beforehand after speaking to the other apprentice years that they would be a little more involved while we are at college during the first year as we aren't on site.

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

3/5

I receive a little better support from the training provider (college) as the tutors are on site as well as the managers there so they are easier to contact. However, it still can be very disorganised and sometimes we aren't notified when tutors are not in until we get there.

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

4/5

Most modules have been very transferrable in terms of skills when coming on site, some more than others but most of them are applicable in our workplace.

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

There are a lot of extra-curricular things to get involved with at work, such as a charity team, newspaper team and after work football etc. There are always things going on at the plant and our company also allows us to go to schools for careers events as well.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend BMW Group UK to a friend?

Yes

Why?

There is decent space to move around in the company, the pension rate is one of the best in the Midlands, the car-scheme is good for new drivers or people who need work cars etc and its one of the leading automotive companies in the world.

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

Be eager to learn, be confident in your ability and skills, research the company well and not just the individual workplace location, have a slight interest in what you want to do etc

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