Mechanical CAD Apprentice Review

Day to day my job consists of assisting with engineering tasks. Creating/amending drawings, carrying out technical calculations. There is some design work, using Autodesk AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor as well as some other packages. Contacting suppliers, customers and suppliers, working with databases and spreadsheets, keeping them up to date.

I have developed skills in using computer aided design software such as Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD. I also use a range of software for calculations such as Mathcad. I have also learnt how to professionally lay out documents such as specifications and drawings so that they are legible and provide useful information to the client.

When there is work to do it is enjoyable, although the flow of work coming in is sometimes slow. College is enjoyable in the second year but parts of the first year (full time in college) feel like a waste of time as there are lessons where you don't learn job relevant skills.

Not. Every apprentice in the business seems to be doing a different pathway with different qualifications, taking different lengths of time. The communication between the workplace and college is nearly non-existent. The structure of my apprentice varies depending on who I ask about it, whether I can complete it in 3 years or 4.

Inside the local Bristol office there is plenty of support. Everyone is extremely helpful and will answer queries for you. getting support from those who aren't located in you office is far more difficult. The communication between Bristol, Leicester (where the learning and development department are) and Warrington is disjointed and slow.

Although the college teaching staff are helpful the management system is terrible. As long as you don't have admin issues and only ask technical questions its okay. Most of the lecturers know their subjects and are happy to answer questions and help with assignment work if it is needed.

Some of the classes we do are useful and can be applied to the workplace although some are useless. In the first year I was put into a class of food and drink engineering apprentices to learn welding theory (all tailored towards food production). This does not help me understand how to assist with the design of nuclear power stations.

Yes there are, I have attended a nuclear industry seminar. There are also sports based activities, I believe.

Yes

Yes, but not unconditionally. The company does have issues that need sorting, especially for apprenticeships. As long as someone is proactive and fights for what they want out of the job they will do well. Sitting back and doing the minimum won't go well, if you want the company to do something for you, you need to tell them.

Attitude and interest matter more than qualifications.