Higher Apprentice Review

My role as a higher apprentice involves attending college on day release completing my HNC in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. My daily tasks for the remainder of the week involve being in placements in many different departments in the business and being tasked with activities to assist whichever department the placement is in. The placements all assist with my personal development and allow me to gain experience throughout the business as a whole and see how each department fits with another etc. I have currently assisted on a live project as well as with tender submissions.

Every day within the business helps me to develop and gain new skills. From negotiating within a business environment, to gaining further skills in presenting to an audience. The placements allow me to gain real life experience and assist with projects that are crucial to the business. I have further gained skills within organization and have challenged myself by also assisting with CSR in the business, this allows me to network with influential people in the business and learn from a wealth of experience.

I really enjoy my programme, I enjoy getting to mix with the vast experience surrounding me within the business. I enjoy learning everyday and having the opportunity to better myself within the business. The apprenticeship has exceeded my expectations and I am grateful for how many opportunities I have been offered throughout my programme.

I feel valued within the business as a whole and each team I move into throughout my placements make me feel like part of the team and give me valuable tasks to make me feel like I am contributing to the success of the team. Due to not being within my final team I sometimes feel that the support from my direct line manager can be lacking. However the support from the rest of the business and the apprentice coordinator is fantastic.

My programme is well structured with the use of a programme tracker to show me where I should be within my placements etc. However the overall programme could be improved with a more set plan of what is to be completed on each placement. Each placement is to be organized by the apprentice by approaching the department, this was not an issue for myself having worked in other businesses previously however for some of the other apprentices within the business this may be a intimidating task to take on.

The training provider for the HNC is supportive in the sense that the tutors are all approachable and usually helpful when asking for support with assignments etc. The NVQ programme however is less supportive with quite low contact time and sometimes long turnarounds on questions asked etc. Also sometimes the provider does not necessarily understand the business and where the qualification fits into the apprenticeship programme specific to our business.

From my direct line manager I do not receive a great deal of support, however from other management in the business and other departments I receive a lot of support. If I were to have any issues there are definitely many people I could call on for support/advice or any issues.

Due to myself being not a typical apprentice I did take a salary cut when joining the programme, however within 1/2 years the wage met that of my earlier employment. The travel aspect is great with the office being located 5 minutes from my home. My wage allows me to drive the car that I want and own a house in my local area and live comfortably.

There are many opportunities outside of work, there are free fitness classes twice a week. As well as this many social events throughout the year are offered. As well as this I am involved in the CSR team as a CSR agent where we attend many activities supporting schools, we try to encourage pupils into engineering careers and inspire. We also help with the local wildlife trust as well as raising money and awareness for mental health. In my spare time I am a singing and dancing coach and due to having a good work/life balance I have enough spare time to partake in this type of activity.

Yes

Great work/life balance, good benefits and competitive salary. Great opportunities to progress and gain more qualifications through the business. The apprenticeship offers a great programme and allows you to learn the business as a whole. I couldn't recommend the programme enough.

Be organized, the application period starts early in the new year for September starting. On the assessment day be yourself and let your personality shine through, Siemens want positive proactive people to push the company further into the future. Be proactive, don't just sail through placements, offer to help or assist and always be happy to volunteer for other activities.