Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

As a 4th year Engineering Degree Apprentice, my day to day job can change through my rotations. My rotations allow me to move around the company in different roles to experience all aspects of the business and to develop myself as a well rounded engineer. Currently i am working as part of a team to push automated technology. As i am a 4th year apprentice which is a higher year, I am given more of a lead role in the team which gives me development opportunity and experience within the future of my career.

Almost all the skills i currently have, have been obtained and developed through the apprenticeship. GE are interested in development more than anything which is great for young engineers who need to be nurtured to reach their potentials. Some of the key skills I've learned are leadership, self development, communication, inner drive/motivation and overall knowledge of Aviation as an industry.

I really enjoy my apprenticeship, at first it can be a massive change and can be extremely stressful with all this new information to learn. When you join an engineering company from school its easy to feel like you know nothing however aviation is an extremely controlled industry where information isn't passed onto skills. By 2nd - 3rd year you pick up all the industry standards and there's lots of support to help you. Often i find myself extremely pushed in terms of the amount of work you have to do and each year is an increase however again there is lots of support around you if you communicate as i have found out in the past.

The organization and structure of the program is ever evolving however with 50+ apprentices and over 8 years of experience, GE have got the scheme on the correct lines. Through the apprentices providing feedback, the scheme improves and provides a better experience for any new apprenticeship years. Over 5 years you will go from a school student to an experienced engineer.

There is a large support system all around you in all areas of the business. I myself have had lots of issues where i need support but haven't communicated with anyone leading to myself getting in to problems. Everything is a learning curve which has allowed me to improve my communication with my employer and improve myself with getting all the help/support i need. You have to ask otherwise you wont get is closer to the truth. If you make it look like everything is fine then you wont get help.

Again similarly with the support of all aspects of the job, support in the qualification area is also pretty good where there are lots of people around you to help, however you must be willing to communicate the issues and reveal any issues you may have to receive the help and support you require.

The qualification is specifically based to suit the basic requirements of the job role. The qualification covers a wide range of aspects, so even if you don't like one area of the qualification, there is plenty of other subject area you can delve into and improve upon, such as hardware, software or systems engineering.

The social aspect of the apprenticeship isn't great however GE are working very hard to improve this. I myself have set up social events for people to get involved with and improve the overall communication aspect which has worked really well but not all apprentices have joined therefore the apprentices who have the issues with the social aspect continue to have these issues. This is something i am working on to improve.

Yes

I believe the GE Degree Apprenticeship is a great program which develops and challenges young minds to become engineers. The Apprenticeship is also very competitive to all other apprenticeships of this caliber in terms of qualification, salary and support. GE is a much larger and diverse company compared to its rival so there is plenty of room to grow.

I would recommend taking a work experience visit to ensure this company is the right move for yourself. All companies are different and so is each person therefore you must ensure you enjoy or are interested in what you are doing. I'd recommend looking at other companies and comparing. GE is a great company but the big thing to ensure you do is communicate, everything is there for you but you must ensure you ask for the help/support you require.