Business Apprentice Review

Business Apprentice, the scheme involves 6 to 9 month rotations over a 4 month period, providing exposure to a number of different departments. My responsibilities and activities will vary depending on the department I am working in. In all my placements it as been consistent that I have been given responsibility and had Supplier and Customer interactions. Alongside placements I am out of the office 1 and a half days a week at University and get involved in extra curricular activities.

MBDA provide a large amount of training opportunities both internally and externally. Internally the training is specific to the placements you have. Alongside this we have 'Life Skills' courses externally for personal development.

It is hard work to get the balance right between all the aspects of the programme, but I enjoy working for MBDA and the teams I have worked with.

As an apprentice I have felt valued by all my managers and the teams I have worked within, the majority of colleges appreciate the different aspects of the apprenticeship scheme. Throughout my apprenticeship I have received a couple of reward and recognition bonuses, recognising the work I have achieved.

The programme is well structured with a number of training activities and consistent studying programme throughout. Support received throughout the scheme is available when you want it but there is no official structure in place. Task delegation is dependant upon the placements I have been in to have this has been organised.

At the University with have 1 key contact who looks after all MBDA students, we have a couple of scheduled meetings a year to talk through progress and the modules we want to do. In terms of guidance and support throughout the year this is available on request during the week.

The support levels within the company vary depending on the placement you are in the majority of managers are supportive throughout however in some instances the support isn't always available. There is a small amount of support from HR however, this is limited and there isn't always the time to discuss issues as they are happening.

My salary meets my costs and is an incentive throughout the scheme to perform well in work and at University to achieve the pay rise available each year. We are also part of the company's yearly bonus scheme.

Within the apprenticeship programme and MBDA in general there are a large amount of opportunities outside of work, from the sports and social club, language lessons to company events. Company events include the Charity Dinner, Robot Rumble and school apprentice events.

Yes

I have really enjoyed my apprenticeship and this it is a great way to achieve a degree whilst also gaining a large amount of work experience within a company.

If you are looking to join MBDA it would be good to apply for work experience beforehand or get involved with the school competition MBDA run such as Glider Challenge or Robot Rumble.