Project Management Higher Apprentice Review

My role as a Project Management higher apprentice involves a variety of day to day activities with no day being exactly the same. My role in project management looks at cost, quality and time and making sure that all these are on target as set out in the project plan. My current role in the business looks at risk, opportunity, LFE and Issues and the effects of these on the business. I am given responsibility within my role on a day to day basis that helps support my development

I have learned a lot of new skills both personal and professional within my PM Higher apprenticeship. A lot of the skills I have learned and developed are around stakeholder engagement, confidence and behaviours in the work place. Through college I have learned the theory and background to project management to provide me with the skills I need to be able to become competent in the work place. Both internal and external training courses develop my skills and I have learnt a lot being able to apply PM knowledge to my every day role.

I enjoy my programme a large extent, it gives me both professional and personal development and allows me to flourish as both an individual and within my working team. My programme allows me to enjoy coming to work and allows me to look forward to leaving my apprenticeship and getting an end role within the business. The balance of stretch assignments, training and 'real work' allows the programme to be enjoyable and exciting.

I feel very valued by BAE as even though I am classed as an apprentice it is recognised that I am contributing to the business and the delivery of the product. This is evidence in the many reviews that are undertaken in the early careers department where constructive feedback is given and evidence provided to show the work that I am doing. I also feel valued by my placement managers as their feedback shows that I am contributing to the 'real' job alongside learning the skills that I need. My value is reciprocated via award systems.

The organisation and structure of my programme is very strict with mandatory reviews in place to ensure that my training, support, studies and overall development is progressing as required. The structure of my placements has allowed me to get a variety of experiences throughout the business and has expanded my knowledge base beyond what I would get by just doing a college course for example. This structure has allowed me to get an appreciation of project management within the business and allowed me to decide where I want to finish my programme at

I receive a lot of support from my training provider where I require it. Reviews are in place to identify my strong points and weak points and actions plans can be put in place by the training provider to support me in my development. They are also very supportive in terms of placements and in work arrangements helping my achieve a balance between work and learning

I receive a lot of support from my employer and they take a strong interest in my both as a professional and a personal level to ensure that my work and wellbeing are stable and I am consistently progressing within my development. This support helps me get the most out of the programme/scheme and supports me in my development allowing me to have a point of contact for any troubles that I may have.

The salary for my scheme does meet my costs however I believe that once you progress into the last year of your programme that you should get more of a pay rise as the expectations of you increase. For example in my last year I am essentially running as a full time employee of the business doing the job of a senior project engineer for my placement team however my salary is not much different from the first years on the scheme. I believe that the salary could be higher compared to other BAE schemes however overall it does satisfy my costs.

There are a lot of opportunities outside of work to get involved in extra curricular activities and support both BAE and the community. These stretch assignments support my development and provide a benefit to the company and community. Some of these opportunities include organising charity events and sporting events for the local community supported and sponsored by BAE. These also contribute to my professional development

Yes

I would highly recommend BAE to a friend due to the amount of professional and personal development that I have achieved. The support that you get during the scheme is really helpful and the training that you receive really supports your future career. The company as a whole provides some fantastic opportunities and can lead to great advancements within your career. The company is also a very interesting place to work with a world class product that it is producing.

I would recommend researching BAE to understand what it does, the different roles that the company has and the many opportunities that can be created by the company. The company is huge and producing many different types of products so understanding that would be helpful when applying to BAE. Some further advice I would give is to understand where you see yourself in ten years time and how you can support and help the company achieve their goals within the future.