Maintenance Technician Review

In the first year our role includes doing our Level 3 BTEC learning on a Monday. The rest of the week is then spent in our training workshop in which we learn key engineers skills. These include Welding, Hand Fitting, Milling and Turning, Fluid Power, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering. I have rated 7 stars as the training in the workshop is great with 4 great tutors who all provide a high quality of training. However the teaching provided by Birmingham Metropolitan College (on site still) has left a lot to be desired. We are very far behind where we are meant to be in our learning and still are not provided with the quality of teaching that I would have expected. In the 2nd and 3rd years we will go out on plant for our placements around the key areas of Mini Production. Then in the 4th year we will start our shifts in the plant.

During my time in the apprenticeship so far I have learnt man new skills and also developed many skills. For example I have greatly increased my skills in online communication due to having regular communication and calls over teams. I I have gained many new skills such as welding and how to build electronic circuits which I am sure will be useful once I start my placements out on the plant.

In the whole I have enjoyed my time at BMW. I have developed a wide range of engineers skills and have already have had many great experiences. However I would say that because of the poor quality of teaching provided by BMET the Mondays can be quite frustrating as it seems a very poorly run course on BMET's behalf.

gain as previously said on the whole the course so far has been well structured, with the main bulk of teaching in the workshop being well organized. However the BTEC teaching is very unorganized. We have had multiple teacher changes which have all been very last minute. This has caused a lot of unnecessary stress for everyone in the course. Even this far into the course this problem still hasn't been resolved and therefore this means we are at least a few months behind where we are meant to be.

In terms of the support that BMW has given me they cannot be faulted in any way. Since the moment that I got offered my place on the course they have all had a keen interest in my well being which has made my adjustment from school life to work life pain free.

In terms of the support provided by the training provided it is a mixed bag. In terms of the 4 tutors in the workshop they are provide a high level of support and will answer any questions you may have. They provide a high quality of training making it a very enjoyable experience. However this is not the same story for the Monday BTEC classes. They are very disorganized and the tutors seem to be so overloaded with work they cannot provide the quality of teaching and support which I would have expected.

In terms of the workshop teaching I believe that all the engineering skills and knowledge I have developed will be greatly helpful when I come to carry out my placements in the plant. However because of the poor quality of teaching provided within the BTEC course I don't feel like I have fully understood many of the topics that have been taught and I may struggle to use what I have learnt from the BTEC course.

There are many extra-curricular activates to take part in within BMW such as the Apprentice Run Newsletter Team who create a monthly bulletin and the Charity Champion Team who organize events in the aim or raising money for the house charity which this year is CALM. Over the apprenticeship there is also opportunities to go to other plants within the BMW Group.

Yes

I would recommend a BMW Group apprenticeship to a friend because of the great range of opportunities that you can access within the group. You get a lot of benefits from working here such as the car scheme and on site health care. The management are very helpful and approachable and will support you every step of the way. Overall it is a great apprenticeship it is just let down by the teaching provided on a Monday with the BTEC classes.

My key tips when applying to the BMW Group would be as follows: - Make a CV that will stand out from the crowd ensuring you write about key experiences you have had and get some references to supplement it. - Make sure to do some practice tests for any assessments you are required to carry out. - Practice interview questions