Apprentice Review

During I a shift I will usually shadow a skilled maintenance colleague and take notes on anything I feel will be useful to me. Also I will get involved in jobs and keep a log of jobs I do for my NVQ.

Yes I have learnt more teamwork skills while working in the factory. I have learnt how to approach problems and deal with them accordingly.

I enjoy the programme while in the workplace, however college has been far less enjoyable. This is due to alot of stress from feeling like I am not getting the best college education I could ha e got. The college does not reach the standard I would expect from an apprenticeship of this kind.

I feel valued by the people I work with day in and day out. However I feel very undervalued by the HR/management team and this is very demoralizing. I go to work every day and try my hardest to learn as much as I can to help me and to help the company, but I feel this effort goes unnoticed alot of the time.

The programme has been very unorganized from the start. The excuse has always been 'you are on a trialblazer programme'. I understand it's hard to roll out a brand new programme but the amount of times work was lost or work got completely changed and had to be redone in college was unbelievable. When I left college full time after 18 months, I felt the things I'd learnt in 18 months could have been done in 12. There was alot of time sat around doing nothing. I could have been in the factory alot earlier learning more on the job and gaining more evidence towards my NVQ. Also the management in NWTC have no interest in looking after the apprentices, they just cover there own backs and make us out to be bad apprentices. In conclusion I feel NWTC could be alot more organised with it's apprentice programmes.

I recieve plenty of support from collegues in the workplace. People who have worked in the factory for many years have a lot of knowledge and are willing to share it with me. But, when I am in college, infeel I get no support whatsoever. We are left to our own devices most of the time, and I have spoke to my apprence manager in NWTC once in the space of 3 1/2 years. There is a massive conficlt of interest because he is the training manager for us but also has an allegiance to NWTC. This is not any kind of support and something should be done to anmend this.

As I said before everyone on the workplace is very supportive and will always share knowlegde with me to help me gain my qualification and to give me the skills I need to succeed in the factory.

My wage is very good. No complaints there.

Yes they offer opportunities to go to schools and colleges to promote the apprenticeship and to do workshops.

Yes

Good apprenticeship with good pay and you learn alot.

Good luck.