Level 6 Engineering Technician Review

Currently, we work around a number of set rotations in a workshop of up to 6 weeks per rotation. Each rotation introduces skills that can be applicable, for example: Electronics, Electrics, PLCs, Business Improvement, Mechanical & Mechatronics, Hand-Fitting (use of hand tools), Welding, Milling & Turning, and Fluid Power. Once a week (currently Thursdays), we have university lectures (all 3 of the modules in one day) and then a study day once a week (currently Mondays) as well (which allows us to keep up to date with all university work as well as any other paperwork applicable). Workshop rotations currently take place Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

So far, I feel that I have gained at least some sort of development if not a completely new skill at every rotation that we've done. I studied applicable topics in school (e.g. Engineering and Product Design), which meant that I came into the apprenticeship programme with prior knowledge and experience, however I still have been able to further my knowledge and build on skills I already had. Some of the rotations have already been useful both inside and outside of work.

So far, I have been enjoying the programme - the practical rotations are insightful and useful (being linked to applications that are used onsite in the plant), and the university course has been interesting (with appropriate time given by both the college and BMW for the learning and completion of assignments). It is also an amazing experience in itself to be working at MINI plant - being able to see a global manufacture at work with the prospect of being able to work at the same place is quite a motivating thing. It is also very useful to see some of the inner workings of the plant, as they will come in very useful for our next 3 years as we begin to go on placement rotations. The introductions as well as talks from both current employees, managers and former apprentices have made the idea of starting the placements very exciting too.

In the first year, the majority of the delivery of the programme is done by the college, not by BMW themselves. From the input by BMW, it is very organised and supportive including weekly/bi-weekly meetings with our manager to gain feedback, check-in on how we're doing and allow a time to ask any questions or raise any issues we may be having. On the college side, the programme can be a little less structured and less organised - ranging from sub-par assignment briefs to prolonged absences from tutors (without too much of a plan on how to deal with it). It can sometimes be difficult to get clarity when it comes to queries asked regarding either the course as a whole or the delivery of certain parts. As of very recently, there has been some improvement - and as a whole the college part of the programme is not terrible, it just can feel and be a bit unorganised.

As previously mentioned, we have a weekly meeting with our manager with a small number of apprentices on the same course, allowing for discussions as a group on any collective queries or concerns, as well as being given updates on how the company is doing in terms of business - which makes us feel a lot more integrated and involved. We also have a one-on-one review meeting every 3 months with our manager - allowing for them to give us feedback on how we've been doing as well as asking us how we feel we are doing and providing support if we need it. On a whole therefore, I feel the support from BMW management is very good and definitely elevates the experience.

With the college, there is a limited number of higher management staff for us to be able to communicate with, which makes it a bit more difficult to be able to raise questions and queries with as well as receive subsequent answers. This can be quite challenging at times, especially with some of the university work where some of the assignments have been pretty unclear and the delivery of information difficult at times too. We have however had the opportunity to discuss some of the more important questions and issues with the vice principal of the college, but as of yet we haven't received any feedback on if they have looked into sorting them out. We also have a one-on-one meeting with the college every 3 months to gauge our progress, which does give an opportunity to directly ask questions.

Due to only being in my first year, I have not yet been introduced to my specific department or what my exact role is as of yet so I cannot be completely sure, however I do believe that the majority of the work we're doing at the moments will definitely be beneficial when it comes to progressing through the programme and in my work placements. This is applicable for both the practical work done as part of the workshop rotations, as well as the university course - both of which provide knowledge and skills that feel like they will come in useful further down the line.

There are activities available for apprentices both in and out of work, including a football team and networking opportunities - however due to the strict schedule as part of the college delivery, it can be difficult to participate in some of the activities. For me personally, I still live a little too far away for it to be viable to commit to some of the out of work activities, however there are quite a few apprentices who do get involved - one of the most popular being the onsite gym which is much cheaper than any others and quite convenient too.

Yes

Working for such a large global company is amazing and such a great opportunity in itself, but also being able to learn and gain qualifications alongside is amazing. The support provided by the company is great (especially for being a massive and busy company), as well as the salary being both fair and competitive with similar programmes. I personally learn a lot better from being immersed in real applications and doing things a little more practically so this programme is great for me.

One of my main tips would be to not be afraid to reach out beforehand to any current or previous apprentices (for example via LinkedIn) and hear first hand about how they found the apprenticeship and potentially mention them in the application or interviews to show that you have done the extra work to find out more about the programme. Also, remember to just be yourself in the interviews - you're not just selling your skills, but yourself as a person too. Mention any applicable anecdotes that may be linked to what course you are applying for, as it shows that you do have an actual interest in the job itself. Finally, be friendly with all the other apprentices and management that you may meet on your assessment day - you may be working alongside some of the apprentices or for some of the managers in the future!