Electronics Apprentice Review

For the first 18 months of the apprenticeship you are situated in the academy. this is where you will spend time learning basic theory and safety practices, as well as building various circuits which gradually increase in complexity. After the 18 months you then go to various places to experience a range of different areas and jobs. This allows you to meet new people around the business and lets you work with the places you will eventually outturn to on the completion of your apprenticeship.

Having previously done A-levels in a completely different field I have learned everything from scratch. The instructors have been very helpful and will try other ways of explaining things if you don’t understand or get confused. College can be a bit ‘hit-and-miss’ and I found myself doing a lot of additional learning to be able to complete assignments to a standard I was happy with.

I have been given so many opportunities to be involved in different activities. Everyone is very welcoming and won’t hesitate to help should you need it. I have made so many new friends and contacts in a variety of areas too. When on placement the team make sure I am involved in any projects and am treated like a part of the team. Every placement I have been to want to make sure I get the most out of the time I spend there and that I am gathering plenty of evidence for my NVQ.

When I first started everything was well organised, however as time went on we realised we were missing paperwork and some parts were out of date. This meant some work had to be redone to accommodate changes between versions. This was a significant setback and meant we were rushed off our feet until the work was done. Other times we were given conflicting information from instructors which left us anxious and stressed as to the completion status of our NVQs

There is plenty of support available. The only reason I found out I was dyslexic was due to the initial tests offered when I was a new starter. Since then they have done everything they can to make me feel comfortable and make things easier. I also had some personal issues and my line manager was very comforting and understanding. There are loads of resources and information available with a big emphasis on personal wellbeing.

They were very good at providing help when asked however I did have to push to get it. The tutors were very knowledgeable in their fields and knew who to contact if they couldn’t answer our questions. We were under a constant time pressure however as it is a lot of information to fit into 18 months.

It has helped me gain an understanding of general engineering. I certainly wouldn’t feel as confident performing my current tasks if I didn’t have that background knowledge. I did have to do a lot of extra research and still do sometimes as the teaching wasn’t as detailed as it perhaps could have been.

Pre-COVID there were a lot events you could get involved in. from numerous visits to schools and careers events to airsoft and Christmas dinners. Some apprentices had also set up a football event nearby. The site has annual competitions and urge everyone to be involved no matter their role or ability.

Yes

There are so many opportunities to learn and develop your skills and personal qualities as well as meeting experts in their fields. Everyone is eager to share their knowledge and experience, not hesitating to help if you need it. I have truly been made to feel like part of the teams I’ve worked with and get involved in some pretty cool things. I see working here as more of a career than a job.

You really have nothing to lose. Perseverance and determination will definitely reward you in the long run. Its intimidating at first but once you start meeting different people and getting to know the different processes its really not bad. The best thing you can do is ask questions and get involved.