Degree Apprentice Review

In the apprenticeship I rotate around different placements within different departments. Therefore the job role changes between different departments. All of the departments are engineering based placements. They range from new model launch to lean manufacturing. The first few weeks are usually learning about the department and their roles, then I will start to be trusted with further projects to test my ability.

The main skill I have developed while I spent time within the launch department was my communication. I understood the power of networking and being able to have people I can rely on if I needed something doing. I was also able to greatly improve my presentation skills as I had the ability to present out my own work to an audience.

I enjoy the programme very much. The university side is testing and takes up a lot of time outside work, however the sense of achievement when its complete is well worth it. Within work I am happy that I am able to do placements as it keeps the work interesting and relevant.

The university side of the apprenticeship is very well structured. I know exactly when each deadline is and what weeks I am at uni. The workload could be more evenly spread out though. The work side of the apprenticeship is slightly structured. The baseline is there however we are left to organise our own placements within the business.

The employer is very supportive. My manager is always around to help when I need it. I also have a designated mentor at my place of work. He is here to help me with any placement issues. He conducts regular 1-2-1 reviews with me to check how I am doing and how I am progressing with the apprenticeship. There is also a work based learning manager who I see every 6 weeks to ensure that everything is running smoothly. He is my point of contact if anything needs escalating within the apprenticeship line of management.

From University the support I receive is just like any other student would. The lecturers are more than happy to stay behind to answer any questions or clarify anything. And there are members of staff around to ensure that the programme is running smoothly. However there isn't anyone specifically looking after my well being.

The qualification I am receiving is very relevant to my career. The degree is in applied engineering so I am able to reference a lot of work I have been completing in my day job to my assignments. I have also learnt a lot about the finance behind the business from Uni which I am able to implement when purchasing equipment.

There are lots of chances for volunteer work in JLR, especially around the Christmas period. There is also alot of social events within my team organised by the team itself. There are schemes that encourage team bonding exercises outside of work and also scheme where the business pays for the event. There is also the JLR challenge that is held every year.

Yes

The journey so far, both within work and university has been exceptional. There has been some issues and concerns along the way but overall the jouney has been more than excpected. The team is very supportive and the work is relevant and exciting. The pay is also not too bad for an apprentice.

Te main thing that JLR looks for in their applicants is not how much you know about the business, or how much you know about engineering, but how your behaviors are. The main thing is to show how much you want to work at JLR and why you want to work at this business. They can teach the knowledge, but you cant teach behaviors.