Degree Apprentice Body Engineering - AVA Seating Review

I work on programs for future vehicles in the Row 3 Seats Plastics team. I meet regularly with suppliers, design and quality to create the best CAD models ready for production later this year. I am also a mentor for the AVA seating team so I am responsible for helping four apprentices in the cohort below. Three more apprentices will be joining the team later this year.

I have developed many CAD and technical skills in the workplace as well as lots of new skills regarding networking, meetings and professionalism. I have also completed the mentoring training as well as being a digital assistant for managers in License to Lead sessions. This has meant I have had to develop my communication skills.

I really enjoy everything about the apprenticeship. I have just started university so I am enjoying learning new things in engineering. Work is always very busy, so sometimes the workload gets a bit too much and it can be difficult balancing work and university. However, I have a good support network in the department which helps.

The programme is very well structured - both university and the placement plans at work. All apprentices in the department know the direction we are going in and it is clearly laid out in months/years to make it really easy to understand. The university blocks are clearly defined, however, the modules and lectured could have a better structure in terms of deadlines/exams happening on the same day.

I receive a great amount of support at Jaguar Land Rover. We have enough freedom to get on with our work professionally but then we have regular reviews with our Work Based Learning Managers (WBLMs). This includes behavioural reviews and 1-2-1s where we can voice any concerns or ask for advice.

Our WBLMs give us a lot of support regarding our qualifications and keep us on track. However, the university also give us a lot of support and offer revision sessions where we can get help and advice. In our tutorials, we are able to voice any concerns in a small group and the university are always very quick to provide answers or resolve issues.

So far I haven't experienced too much that helps me in the workplace yet. However, the materials and manufacturing module is very relevant - as is the business module. I think that as the course goes on I will be able to select the modules I know will benefit me most.

We do CSR events that have included building a sensory garden and then a playground and garden for a local school. There is also the Employee Learning Scheme where Jaguar Land Rover provide each employee with £200 a year to do activities outside of work. This includes rock climbing, music lessons, driving lessons and personal skills development.

Yes

Working for Jaguar Land Rover gives apprentices opportunities that a lot of other companies can't offer. The structure of working and learning at the same time is appealing as you can develop into a really well-rounded engineer sooner than you could through going to university first. The amount of apprentices on the programme is also really encouraging as there is a large and well developed network of support.

I would advise to think about the end result of the apprenticeship and see if it is what you want. Having all of the work experience and degree at the same time is really rewarding but requires a lot of dedication and professionalism from day one. I would also advise comparing the apprenticeship to other routes because it highlights just how much JLR provide and will invest in their apprentices.