Aircraft Engineering Apprentice Review

As an apprentice at GE Aviation Wales my role is to learn how to carry out maintenance on aircraft engines. I am currently in my second year and attend college every monday to learn the theory behind the work i will be doing at the company. The rest of the week I am placed on section learning the job.

I have learnt many new skills while working at GE Aviation Wales. I have learnt new hand skills and improved some of my other skills in order to carry out the work effectively. I have also improved my communication skills as working at GE Aviation Wales means working as a team.

I really enjoy working at GE Aviation Wales the skills and knowledge you gain from working here is second to none. The other workers that train you are very friendly and helpful. The work carried out is also very enjoyable and unique to this company and there is bonding activities done with other apprentices that are really enjoyable.

For the most part the programme is well structured within the company however the college we attend is not run to as high of a standard. There has been changes in classes and units during college and teachers leaving without a replacement left our class without a teacher for a extensive amount of time.

We get a huge amount of support from our employer and any issue we have we can talk to someone to try and get it resolved. Its very easy to talk to people within the company about any support we may need and the college we attend are also helpful in providing support

When working towards our qualification we get a fair amount of support from our training provider and can always ask for advice if needed. At the college however it can be different depending on the teachers you get. Some will provide a huge amount of support so that you can achieve your goal while others will give you close to no help at all.

My qualification will help me massively with my role at the company as I am learning on the job. This means that when i achieve my qualification I will have the knowledge and skills to carry out my work safely and effectively. Learning on the job gives us that extra bit of help we need.

There are a number of extra-curricular activities to get involved in at work. One example would be the Duke of Edinburgh Award. This is a great way to get closer to your fellow apprentices and learn some new skills. There is also a rugby team and opportunities to go to schools and share your experience with younger children.

Yes

It is a brilliant company to work for as the life skills and knowledge you will gain from working here is second to none. Deciding to apply for GE Aviation Wales was the best decision of my life and I can see myself working here for the rest if my life.

Some tips I would give is too research into what the company does and by doing this you can see if you're interested in that. I would also recommend spending a weeks work experience at the company to get a real feel if this is what you want to do