Higher Apprentice Launch Engineer Review

I am an apprentice Launch engineer. My daily tasks involve specifying vehicles for prototype build and ensuring that customers are satisfied. Customers that I interact with are internal such as Marketing and Engineering as the vehicles are usually for motor shows / tests. I am also responsible for updating timing plans which show the launch activities happening on the programme that I am involved in.

I have developed lots of new skills and grow in confidence as my apprenticeship progresses. I have attended multiple training courses such as decision making and communication training on top of the degree course that I am part of. I have learnt a lot about communication and negotiation as a lot of the activities that I am involved in require a compromises to find the best solutions for everyone.

I enjoy the work that I am involved in and my enjoyment has grown as my responsibilities have. I really enjoy working in the team that I am in and find that there is a very helpful culture within the company of everyone trying to work together for the best outcome. Before starting I didn't really know what to expect but I believe that it has met my expectations despite being slightly different to what I probably would have imagined.

I definitely feel like I am valued by my manager and the apprentice team. I feel I always receive recognition for hard work and am involved with multiple different projects.

I think that the programme is well structured but there is occasionally a lack of communication. As the apprentice team are always striving to improve and adapt the programme sometimes there are errors in communication and some uncertainties. Any uncertainties are addressed however and feedback and support is often satisfactory.

Tutors within college and university have mostly all been very helpful and accessible. Occasionally there are issues such as miscommunication due to distance learning or some struggle to get sufficient support when struggling with a subject but if raised with management these are always dealt with professionally and in a way that 'keeps the peace'.

I receive a lot of support from both my work manager and my work based learning manager. There is always a positive attitude toward support and all managers/tutors are approachable. The feedback to problems is always useful and I feel happy in the knowledge that any concerns of problems would be dealt with professionally and given the appropriate amount of attention.

The pay for the apprenticeship easily covers my living and travel expenses. I find that I have a good amount to enjoy my free time and go on holidays on top of everyday living. With the pay increasing every six months depending on performance it also gives an incentive to work hard to earn higher pay.

There are multiple opportunities outside work. There are lots of CSR activities and I have been involved in tree planting and attending schools to help students with their future choices and help highlight the apprenticeship route. We also get discount from multiple gyms and get funding to do learning activities every year. Using the ELS (employee learning scheme) I learned to snowboard with a days lesson paid for by the company.

Yes

They are a good company to work for. I feel that they really care about their employees and their happiness within the company. The apprenticeship itself is such a brilliant opportunity for anyone looking into engineering. You get a degree along with NVQs and a foundation degree all paid for, invaluable work experience and decent pay.

The best advise I got when applying for the apprenticeship particularly for interviews was that it was for me to decide whether the company was right for me and not only prove that I was right for the company. I would recommend having lots of examples of being a hard working individual and working well in teams. I would have liked to have been told more about the different pathways within the companies and the areas available such as marketing, launch, control engineering, CAD etc. I would also liked to have been told that your performance in the application process determines your ability to follow the pathway of your choice. This was not however something that was negative for me as I got into the department that I wanted anyway as do most of the apprentices.