Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

Working for Dowty Propellers, a GE company, as an EDA gives you the opportunity to have rotations in all areas of engineering. Some examples include participating in projects within engineering, supporting any STEM activities the company holds, shadowing and assisting engineers in their work and attending university one day a week.

Improved CAD skills having been introduced to industry standard software and have learned to apply those skills in a manufacturing environment. Working on live projects has built confidence in decision making and managing in a pressured environment. Public speaking has improved as a result of presenting work at the end of a rotation to your colleagues.

I love the rotation element because of the ability to spend a few months working in a completely different environment; even if you do not choose that area of engineering to specialize in, you can appreciate the work in that department. As with any company, there are always areas of improvement and, as more apprentices join, we can create a community to support one another and improve the experience.

There is a level of structure, being the rotations. From that, each rotation may have a different way of teaching. There is definitely a lot of free reign to work, but that is to give you the chance to become independent in your career and make decisions. Of course, college days are structured to factor in exam dates etc but can be subject to change at times.

There is definitely a high level of support in the Dowty community when it comes to questions on a subject. Being surrounded by engineers allows you to receive direct answers to specific questions that may take ages to find in a book or online. There is also a good level of support with a work/uni balance.

Gloucestershire college has training coordinators that assist in the work/university balance and act as a representative for any concerns you may have. They have been very effective in listening and understanding the issues. The college itself has a good structure that is subject to change of which students are made aware of, however there are improvements that can be made.

There are clear cross over in the curriculum and the work at Dowty. It really helps to consolidate the information at college when you apply that at work and vice versa. A great example is learning the standards for drawings at college made it easier to read drawings at work, which reminded me of that information.

There is a great chance to get involved in STEM events as an ambassador of STEM at Dowty. This gives you the opportunity to support your community and meet others of a similar mindset. There are opportunities to get involved with some social activities held by the company and chances to participate in events outside of STEM.

Yes

GE Aviation and Dowty Propellers are great companies to work for if you are looking to gain experience in the engineering world. The opportunities to work with really interesting people and projects mean that, as an apprentice, you can develop a well rounded idea of the world of aviation and support your studies to boost your career.

Ask questions, be curious about concepts you don't understand and don't be afraid to suggest ideas to any area of the company that could improve something. There is always an opportunity to learn, while you earn. It really helps to focus on what you really enjoy and be honest about your experiences in the STEM or engineering world as it helps employers understand your passion and drive for applying.