Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

During the course, apprentices move around a new placement every 6 months. A typical day will depend on the team, but involves working on live engineering projects and being a true member of the team, not "just the apprentice". We work for 4 days per week, with 1 day per week reserved as University release (during term times).

I have learnt a huge amount of new skills. I had a keen interest in computing and electronics, but no formal qualifications before starting the course. Through university and mentors at work, I have developed electronics hardware, software and systems knowledge, alongside a variety of soft skills through training courses and secondary roles at the company.

I really enjoy the program due to the level of responsibility and feeling like a part of the company. Working in Aviation comes with plenty of challenges, but I find the work incredibly interesting and always want to find out more. In addition, getting to know new people and receive support from them makes the course much easier.

At work the programme has been running for many years and is now well structured. The cohort sizes are relatively small each year, which means apprentices can be well managed and given an appropriate level of support. Organisiation at University however can be lacking, particularly in the first three years studying at Gloucestershire College (a partner of UWE).

The employer provides an excellent level of support. When joining the scheme, you work closely with your apprentice manager but are also assigned multiple mentors in the higher years of the scheme. This helps to find your feet and build a larger support network within the company. Then, I have found that almost anybody will be very happy to support, even those not part of the early career programs!

At University, we have several key contacts for support who are there to assist with learning, as well as a training coordinator who works with the company to align the program. There is good equipment available to complete university modules, but lecturers can sometimes be quite hard to get in contact with.

The qualification is very relevant to my job role, and I have so far used everything in my University modules at work. This helps me to perform better at work, but also to apply the university knowledge in a workplace and better understand the key concepts. The university course is broad enough to support several career paths.

As apprentices, we are highly encouraged to support with career events, such as school outreach or STEM programmes on site. Through the variety of these schemes available, apprentices have the opportunities to lead them as well as taking part in them, which is a great way to develop leadership skills and competencies

Yes

I enjoy working at GE, due to the exciting work, large amount of opportunities, strong commitment to developing apprentices, and friendly working environment. The course doesn't assume a level of knowledge so is a great fit for many different people, and the level of support means that nobody gets left behind.

Due to the high number of applicants and relatively low number of places, it's important to demonstrate a strong interest in the role. Consider how activities either at school, work or home can demonstrate your interest for engineering, and prove that you will complete the course and give full effort.