project management apprentice Review

As we are able to move about in the apprenticeship my role changes dependent on the placement. Currently I am involved with cost engineering so I help monitor and control the costs on the projects in my area. This involoves setting up meetings with a variety of stakeholders, checking invoices and ensuring that work has been completed.

I have developed my stakeholder management skills as there are a variety of different stakeholder that I have to interact with. Also my knowledge has grown on not only what project management entails but also the company and how it is run. The apprenticeship has also taught my how to work in a professional environment.

The programme I am on is very good however it is dependent on the placements you get put in, some of them are very good and I am lucky to have experienced that however some I have struggled to be provided work in other placements, and the involvement you get in work depends on how much you enjoy the experience.

the placements organised sometimes are a bit late but are always sorted, however if a placement is bad there is a struggle to get out of there and into another. This means that for 6 months you are in a place that is not providing you with the knowledge or experience that you require.

My placement manager is brilliant provides all the support I need whether this be with work related issues or with personal issue. However this is not the same from everyone my line manager often delegates to a team member that is not supportive and helpful in any way. My line manager is very good at being supportive however he has a lot of people to manage and therefore is difficult to get hold of.

I receive a lot of support, they are always helpful with any questions or worries I have and push me to achieve my best. Although they are not great at hearing and responding to criticism, which often results in issues that I have raised on behalf of the class not being heard which is frustrating.

it is good at providing the knowledge in the soft skills, some of the terminology is different to what we use in the company but 9/10 I can understand the relevance to my role and can apply it in my day to day job which in turn helps me perform better in the role I am in.

there are plenty of professional networking events such as the project management forum that I can be a part of. Also there are plenty of activities I could get involved in from being an apprentice such as the tall ships activity, also the apprentice council. However there are not many social activities that are organised.

Yes

I feel it is the best way to learn on the job, you get supported through a degree have friendly working environments and a chance to learn about a large organisation and how they operate. This is also a great chance to be provided opportunities for your future career as there is flexibility within Sellafield to move and experience different sides of the site.

if you are applying for an apprenticeship at Sellafield learn about the company and what they do there is plenty of information on the internet about it. I would say you have to show that you are determined and show that you have a challenging attitude but in a professional manner.