Apprentice Quality Technitian Review

My role with Consort Equipment products ltd is an apprentice quality technician. My main responsibilities are to carry out quality and functionality checks on all products that are manufactured and also purchased in from third parties. As well as this, I am responsible for carrying out audits on different departments ranging from health and safety to housekeeping.

I have learned many skills whilst carrying out my day to day responsibilities and from receiving guidance from my mentor, NVQ assessor and other members of staff. As well as this, I have been working towards two formal qualifications which are a HNC in mechanical engineering and a city and guilds level two in computer aided design. I have also progressed with my communication and listening skills as a result of working closely with other members of staff.

My apprenticeship programme is very challenging and time-consuming, but I enjoy it very much as it pushes me further than I have been in education. I work with a very friendly group of people which makes the working environment very welcoming and i have gained many new friends as a result of this employment. The company is very supportive which is something i have not experienced from an employer before and i am very greatful for.

My manager/mentor if often shows his appreciation by commenting on my progress and offering moral support. Regular meetings are also held to discuss progression and highlight areas that I am excelling in and areas, if any, that need improvement. College also highlights and recognize areas which i am excelling by producing regular progress reports.

Initially, there was some disruption with my programme as my assessor resigned which led to a slight lack of organization when it came to finding me another assessor and picking up where the other one left off. Since then, however, it has been much better and I now feel much more focussed as i know the direction i need to be heading in.

My training provider is very supportive when we communicate. Communication could be a lot more frequent though and I think that would make the training I am doing a lot more effective and productive.

My employer is very supportive of most aspects of my training and provides me with access to a lot of support from other staff members. More support could be given when it comes to providing me with time to complete some NVQ work during working hours. We have been going through a busy period of work at the moment so very little time has been allocated for me to do this.

My salary is very low, being an apprentice under that age of 25. This makes it quite difficult to cover costs as I also have a young son. This will become slightly easier this summer as I turn 25 and my wages will increase slightly. I also only have 1 year left on the programme so my wages should increase further when I finish.

There are very few opportunities in my local are and the ones that are available attract a very large number of applicants which makes getting the position very difficult. It is for this reason that I understand how lucky I am to be doing the apprenticeship that I am and I am very grateful to my employer!

Yes

Because it is a great way to gain qualifications whilst earning a wage. This was the most difficult aspect of college before a got an apprenticeship as not earning a wage makes life very difficult.

The main piece of advice I would give is to keep trying and not to give up, even if it feels like you are not getting anywhere. I tried hard for several years to get my apprenticeship and I often felt like I would never get one! Also, do whatever you can to put yourself ahead of the competition and show employers how keen you are.