Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Review

On a day to day basis, the apprenticeship - during the first year, at least - mainly consists of work towards a year long first year project, due to be exhibited at Cheltenham Science Festival and the Royal Bath and West Show. Other than this, we also organise and carry out shadowing opportunities.

I have been given several opportunities to develop skills I have previously acquired. Through the degree, I have developed my mathematics and programming skills through the Digital Principles course, and during the Performing Electronic Operations part of the course I have developed several skills including circuit design, soldering and three dimensional modelling.

The program has provided me with many opportunities, such as the ability to complete a degree which earning a salary and without incurring any student debt. I have found it useful, but so far have found the company experience lacking. I would appreciate more ability to get involved with teams earlier on.

The structure of the program is clearly laid out and very easy to follow. It was provided to us at the start of the course and has been stuck to throughout. We are given a very clear idea of tollgates and targets to achieve, and are kept up to date on requirements.

The amount of support I receive from my employer is very satisfactory. Regular touchpoints with my manager help to keep my Personal Development goals on track, while college reviews allow me to raise any concerns I may have with the academic side of the course. I feel very well supported.

The amount of support I receive from my training provider when working towards my qualifications is an area in which I feel that this course could stand to improve. The lecturers often provide conflicting information and are not terribly helpful when problems arise. Deadlines are unclear and I often feel I do not have adequate academic support.

At the moment my academic qualification towards which I am working does not immediately help me during my role at work. It is useful knowledge, but as we are not given very much responsibility during the first year of the course it is tough to apply any of this knowledge.

There are many extra-curricular activities to get involved in at my work. Social activities, sports teams and even professional networking events are all present and regular, giving me a wide range of activities to get involved in if I so choose. These provide a great way to get to know people outside of you.

Yes

The opportunities opened up by this program are very attractive. Having a degree, earning a wage, ending up with no student debt and 5 years of work experience are all very attractive prospects, and I think you would be hard pressed to find a significantly better offering at another company.

Come in with a realistic idea of what your responsibilities will be. The first year is slow, but hopefully it gets better. From talking to higher years, it seems that it ramps up quite considerably, so I would say to be prepared to start by taking it slowly before achieving real responsibility.