Engineering Management Apprentice Review

I am in the second year of the course, which involves two six month placements. Day-to-day, I carry out engineering tasks within an office environment whilst working towards my NVQ and HNC.

I have primarily acquired knowledge of MOD infrastructure and projects. Presenting the work carried out to project teams in a confident manner is also something that I have developed.

The day-to-day experience is enjoyable for anyone who has an interest in defence and/or project management.

The overall programme is organised quite well in general. However, placement did take a long time to organise at the start of the second year and did not necessarily reflect personal interests and achievements from the first year.

There is support available in aspects, from financial to mental health, within DE&S. Managers are also very understanding of personal situations.

Generally excellent. It would be useful to have specialist software needed for our HNC available on work laptops, however.

The HNC appears to useful for those looking to enter a more technical role, such as working with electronics. However, I have not used any of my learning in my job so far. The NVQ seems to be an outdated qualification, but is compulsory for apprentices in any organisation.

There are a variety of sports clubs advertised within DE&S. Social activities largely vary within individual teams. DE&S hold various professional networking events, including those specifically for apprentice and graduates.

Yes

DE&S offer professional project management experience whilst supporting individuals through their studies. On conclusion of this, there is a clear path of how an individual may progress through the organisation.

Be clear and concise with your language at the interview stage and do as much research as you can!