Mechanical design apprentice Review

On a day to day basis I will carry out design risk assessment actions and use AutoCAD and inventor to analyse the issue and come up with a solution.

Through my time on this apprenticeship I have developed a lot of engineering knowledge which has helped me throughout my role. I have also gained both AutoCAD and Inventor experience. This apprenticeship has also helped me to build my confidence when working in a team.

I enjoy the work given to me but as I am only an apprentice, I am receiving a lot of the same work.

My apprenticeship is well structured. However, there are a lot of different training providers/employers involved in the running of my apprenticeship therefore it can become quite confusing with the different competencies that need to be met for each programme.

I receive a lot of support from my employer, especially the team I work in. However, I believe more support from my line manager and people running the programme would be more beneficial.

I have two different training providers, Stegta and UTC Warrington. Stegta deal with the NVQ side of the apprenticeship where as UTC deal with the education side of it. I find there is very little communication between them two and the employer therefore a lot of confusion arises in terms of work needed to do and why we are actually doing certain things.

I believe my qualification through UTC will provide me with more engineering knowledge and Stegta will help me to cover different areas of my job. I feel UTC doesn't cover enough mechanical subjects which therefore I can't apply to my job role. I also feel Stegta revolve around ticking boxes and not the actual value it gives to the apprentice.

There is a lot of professional networks and communities for everyone to get involved in. Some key areas that I am involved in are STEM and the youth voice network. I have also recently expressed my interest in the Women's network.

Yes

I would recommend the company to a friend as the skills they would develop are brilliant.

I would ensure they know as much information into what they are applying for and that they are sure they want to enter that job role. If they ever got the apprenticeship I would also ensure they are aware of all the things they must do as an apprentice and ensure they balance them well to avoid frustration.