Higher Apprentice Project Manager Review

As a PM Higher Apprentice, my day-to-day role varies on which placement I am in. As an apprentice, the opportunity is there to travel around the business and experience different teams. In my current role, the day generally involves looking at creating schedules and allocation of resources to a specific task. I frequently interact with others involved with the projects and with those also within my team.

Being able to study as well as work, has allowed me to develop both my academic and professional skills. I have learnt a lot about how our business operates both internally but also externally with customers. Studying towards a project management degree means I am able to apply what I learn in the classroom in the workplace and to valuable projects.

I enjoy the flexibility of being able to move around the business into teams which are able to each develop different areas for me. This flexibility with both my placements and with the working hours allows me to manage my own time, and have a huge amount of control and responsibility over my own career path.

As the apprenticeship adheres to a government standard, there's already a set structure to the programme -no matter which scheme you would be on. The structure so far for my programme has been good, with one day a week at university and the other 4 days at work, it seems to work well in helping achieve the aims of the apprenticeship.

BAE do provide support where anyone needs it, however they are not intrusive and do allow you to make your own decisions and take on your own responsibilities if you are willing. Support doesn't necessarily always come from those within early careers either, once you join, a mentor is assigned to support you and guide you -both with professional development and personal development.

As we are doing a university degree course, the expectation is more that you should be happy to take away work and complete it in your own time with less help than when you were doing earlier studies such as A Levels or GCSEs. Support from the training provider is accessible, however it's completely dependant on the individual as to whether you want to utilise that or not.

With our training provider, we were able to study for and gain a professional qualification with the Association of Project Management (APM). However, with our degree, different modules we have learnt (such as Risk Management and Managing Teams and Decisions) also are very valuable within the workplace, as you have the theory to then be able to apply to a practical situation.

As an early careers community (graduates, apprentices, industrial placements and summer interns), we have plenty of opportunities for social events, including days out, Christmas parties and meals. The atmosphere within the early careers community is lively and friendly. Within the professional environment, you can also get involved in 'stretch' activities -including things like attending careers fairs, engineering challenges and running wellbeing events.

Yes

A BAE Systems apprenticeship is a great place to kick-start your career. You get the opportunity to earn as you learn, without the debt of going to university. You get great industry knowledge, which will really help when moving forward in your career. The level of responsibility you get when in a placement, gives you a good idea on what it means to be a project manager.

When applying, it's important to showcase your true personality -as that's what will get you the job at BAE more than the academic qualifications you have. Especially within project management, it helps to be an organised individual with a good drive to achieve results. If you aren't successful in an application, don't let it deter you from applying the following year.