Level 6 Engineering Technician Apprenticeship Review

Year 1 - This was all based in the Training School. 4 of the 5 days were based in the workshop on different rotations such as Electrical, Electronics, PLCs, Milling, Lathing etc. A day was dedicated as our college day where we had 3 modules spread throughout the day. Some of these modules involved Mathematics, CAD, Business etc.
Year 2 - This was the start of my 3 month placements around the BMW MINI plant. My home department is laboratory based which involves process analysis and material testing.
Another placement was in the Paintshop which again involves a lot of process analysis and using different methods including 3D printing to improve existing processes. I've had to work on different projects which involve quite a bit of CAD and 3D prototyping, which makes sense as the degree I'm working towards is Manufacturing Engineering.
Currently I've had to return to my home department due to an overload of work. This has also involved in me travelling to other plants to help out with some mechanical testing.

The work based placements are generally well structured so far and any changes are communicated in advance. The placements are organised in a document that apprentices have access to so we know and understand what the upcoming placements might be like which results in an ease of mind.
The college experience has been up and down but I think it could be better if assignments for every module weren't all released at once, but rather they were handed out based on a schedule. This would help manage the workload better because sometimes we won't have any assignments and then suddenly there are a few handed out at once. During some of the college days we have not followed a proper schedule with some modules over running into others and completing work for a specific module in the working time of another module.
Overall, it's been good.

The BMW apprentice managers are supportive with any concerns and hold regular meetings to keep the apprentices updated with changes and for them to have the opportunity to address any issues.

The tutors themselves are quite helpful whenever you have any concerns. Some go as far as offering 1:1 support to go through certain topics you are unsure about. Some tutors also do well in providing valuable feedback, but it could be more consistent across the different module leaders.

I think some of the modules have been very relevant to my placement and for me I have been lucky with the timings of my modules and placements, as often the topics being discussed during my college day would also come up in placements and I would feel confident in taking on the job due to my knowledge having been developed through college leaning. A big area that has translated to my work based placements has been the CAD work.

Yes

I think it's one of the biggest mainstream car manufacturing companies in the UK and from personal experience, it's been the greatest opportunity for me to develop new skills and knowledge in such a short frame of time.