Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

by GE Aerospace

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

6.8/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

General engineering work across the department, changing significantly dependent on which rotation you are in. Examples include drawing changes, prototyping, general CAD work and developing manufacturing improvements.

8/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

I have learnt how to use our CAD package, CATIA. I have improved my Maths ability through working on composite calculations.

7/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

The work side is good. There is support available for the apprentices when needed, and the work is interesting and enjoyable. There are many experienced colleagues who are willing to help you learn.

7/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Structure is very flexible, and has been re-written multiple times since we started both by ourselves and an apprentice in the year above. Offers experience in every section of the engineering department through 3-month rotations in the first 3 years and longer 6 month rotations in the last 2 years.

6/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

Decent amount. When support is asked for, there are plenty of people who can and will offer to help. Employer has been very supportive with college work that has been assigned.

8/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

Not much. The quality of training has been consistently dire since day one. Issues include a total lack of communication, extremely incompetent lecturer (misses significant amounts of content from course, blames students for not correcting his mistakes during worked examples, does not know what a micrometer is).

1/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

You need a degree to practice as an engineer. The training provider gives the degree, so is necessary for us to pursue our careers.

7/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

There are social events (some company funded, some not depending on their nature). These vary wide, such as sporting lessons through to company-funded bus trips to London.

10/10

9a. Would you recommend GE Aerospace to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Good support, everybody is very happy to support you during the apprenticeship. You are given significant responsibilites from early on in the apprenticeship, though these will be supported by a senior engineer. There are lots of opportunities for career development after the apprenticeship as well. The only major downside that I have come across is Gloucestershire College, who provide our training for the first 3 years (UWE for the last 2). This part of the apprenticeship is pretty bad and lets the rest of it down.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to GE Aerospace?

In your CV, make sure you mention interest in aerospace and aviation prominently. During the interview, make sure you have an example of a technical project you have worked on at some point. It does not need to be major, something like soldering a kit or building a computer is enough. If you have ever given lessons on anything, make sure to mention that too.