Engineering Technician Review

I work in Space Imaging working across 3 areas, Package Integration, Process Engineering and Materials Development. When I am fully competent in these 3 areas I will be able to take a project through from bid stage, create the engineering designs and drawings, prototype builds, processing the devices and solving any materials issues that arise along the way. I am currently working on a project that is 20 years old and is experiencing extreme yield issues of 5%, I am working to increase the yield and challenge some of our historic processes to help increase our efficiency when manufacturing the product. I work within a small, new product development team within space imaging among 20 engineers each with their own speciality. My personal contribution to our team objectives are driving new ideas and improvements and challenging our historic way of working. Alongside this role I am also training to become an apprentice coordinator with responsibility for next years apprentice intake after being involved in the selection process. I have been helping to train first year apprentices on rotation in our department and this has led me to be given the opportunity to become an apprentice coordinator.

PEO Level 2 Btec Level 3 NVQ Level 3 Further Maths Level 3 Autodesk Inventor certification 8D Problem Solving Yellow Belt Training Currently Studying for HNC and NVQ level 4

I most enjoy learning while on the job, the thing I struggled with most during school was knowing where I would ever use what I was learning. Whereas now, I can see what I learn is making a difference to my job and helping to develop new systems and products.

I feel that I am wanted on the apprenticeship scheme as I had another scheme designed for myself and one other to move onto once we finished our advanced apprenticeship, we are now signed up for another 5 years working towards a Beng.

The scheme is very structured, there is a week long induction to the scheme and business, when you come on site you have a month long training programme before starting rotations around the company. You will have reviews are the end of each placement and when you specialise into a final placement these reviews will occur every 3 months. You also have a mentor who you can call upon whenever you feel the need.

We attend Chelmsford college every Wednesday. The tutors are always willing to provide help with assignments and their teaching quality is very high. We can email the tutors any day of the week and they are willing to help.

The apprentice manager is very accommodating, we have been able to continue attending college during term holidays to allow us to keep up to date and use the college facilities as well as allowing us to gain a little extra face to face learning with tutors.

I think the package is adequate. As the office is local and provides parking commuting costs are minimal.

There are many extra opportunities available. Every year apprentices attend careers events at schools to promote the apprenticeship scheme to year 9 students and up to help them decide on their GCSE options as well as making them aware of the alternatives to A/Levels and University via the conventional route. We have also taken part in the Brathay Apprentice Challenge, this includes a community project, where we spent a weekend landscaping a charities garden and installed a pond.

Yes

I think that apprenticeships are better that A Levels and University, as you can still gain the qualifications that would through being a full time student, yes it does take longer to get the qualifications but you are earning and getting experience at the same time. As well as not having to pay for the tuition fees and being paid for working.

Research the company and show that you have an engineering interest. Its surprising how many people apply without knowing a thing about what we do...