Technical Apprentice Review

My role as an Apprentice at Babcock is that of a Heavy Vehicle mechanic/technician. I am paired with a skilled worker and follow/aid them in their daily work orders. At this current point on my apprenticeship (At time of writing) i am trusted to carry out tasks on my own and complete jobs whilst under supervision.

I came into this apprenticeship with very little knowledge on the mechanical workings of vehicles, but my skills have developed well in my time here and i am growing more confident with carrying out my own small projects at home, such as the repair and replacement of faulty components on my own vehicle at home.

I have been enjoying my time on site and the people/teams I have been working with have been very helpful and encouraging with my development. Whilst the college/educational learning side of the Apprenticeship has been very unorganized and difficult to reach goals at times, the team (Lectures/Teachers) at WCG Warwickshire have been very open and helpful with any issues.

For my personal year's intake of apprentices the structure of the course was drastically changed, Whilst most things at site remained the same, our Educational structure was moved from a Local Based learning (I.E. Poole and Bournemouth College) to a centralized localization at Warwick's WCG. Whilst the new learning location is better equipped to meet the needs of this qualification, I cannot help but feel the whole process for building the structure of our leaning was rushed as many places have fallen through on our learning and development. (Feels like an uphill battle at many points)

Dude to the size of Babcock's infustructre, In the Land Sector alone, it is difficult for those higher in the hierarchy to devote time to one area. That being said, I have been receiving great aid and support from my direct line manager, it is unfortunate that those after this level, seem to be very distant and slow to respond to issues raised.

When working with our trained/skilled employees and tutors on Site, all those I have worked with have been priceless in my development. For both skills and knowledge. The Tutors at our College have also been very helpful in developing our knowledge though it is difficult to get details when it's often been 1 Tutor to 7/8 leaners.

The role that I am required to fill at work is a difficult one to find training for, this is due to the Job being so specific in its nature that finding a training course outside of its area is difficult. This being said, the course I am currently undertaking and the grade/certificate I shall gain upon its completion will open many doors for me and allow development in a number of areas.

At the current state of the world due to Covid-19 there has been very little extra-curricular activates to take part in. In a normal environment there would be a yearly event for held for the Apprentices, this event would cover their achievements and award those who have passed their Apprenticeship, the evening is used as a passing out event.

Yes

The work itself is rewarding and the team's I have encountered have been friendly and have helped my knowledge grown. If you enjoy doing something unique and different I feel this job fits the role.

As the apprenticeship currently stands, the course needs work. Things haven't been fully thought out and it does feel like many things are being fixed/created as we go along. However, the Job itself is very rewarding and interesting, with new challenges being provided each day. If you come to this Job with an open mind and willingness to learn it can be rewarding at the end.