National Apprenticeship 

Week 2021

Time at BAE Systems: 12 years in total

Year joined apprenticeship scheme: 1988

Location: Guildford

What was your path to choosing to follow the apprenticeship route vs. university?
At the time I had applied for a couple of 6th form college placements to do maths, physics and chemistry A-levels, but also engineering apprenticeships with British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) and the British Army. Even though I had applied to colleges and achieved the right GCSE grades to go, I wanted to do something more practical and hands-on, rather than traditional academic courses.

After a number of selection centres and tests, the BAE Systems acceptance letter came back faster than the Army’s – so signed up for a four year programme with BAE Systems, with 4 days on-site and 1 day attending college.

Why BAE Systems’ apprenticeship scheme?
The company’s clear view for the whole four year scheme. It was very well structured and communicated from day one, which took the anxiety out of making the decision to go for it. 

What was your key takeaway/experience as an apprentice?
I got to experience every part of the business over the four years, with emphasis on air frame and design work. However, I found out that I wasn’t cut out for an engineering career. Technically and grades wise, I could have done the work, but I realised that wasn’t where my passion lied. The technician apprenticeship, which was positioned between undergrad and craft apprenticeships, exposed me to a wide range of business and technical areas within BAE Systems. There were (and still are) lots of opportunities in the business to move around during the apprenticeship, which helped to open my mind rather than to narrow it.

How has your apprenticeship experience informed your career now?
Learning through an apprenticeship encouraged me to be adaptive and flexible to trying new things, regardless of whether I thought I would like it or not. It opened my mind to new things that I hadn’t considered or had exposure to previously. Through this experience, my attitude was coached to be more positive and open-minded. While I may have welded my test piece to the bench and burnt holes in my shoes because I wasn’t paying attention to the sparks, I learnt more functional and technical skills that have informed my career, than I believe I would have at college or university.

 

This experience has helped me to recognise my drive and determination, which has structured and informed my life and career ever since. This is all thanks to the right balance of care, support and encouragement to learn and find new limits – even if I needed a few pushes along the way. 

Do you have any advice for those considering apprenticeship schemes?
First of all, go for it! Secondly, while you may go into your apprenticeship thinking one route is right for you, the experience you get and the environments you’ll get exposed to may lead you in another direction, and that’s okay. Apprenticeships are the perfect opportunity to learn, redirect and try new things. Try everything you can. A good apprenticeship scheme will help you try new things and guide your development, but also match your talents and passions, even if they’re not where you originally thought they would be.

 

I thought I would enjoy welding and airframe manufacture, turned out I didn’t. The benefit though is that even though these (and other aspects of manufacturing) it’s not part of my job now, I can hold conversations with a variety of teams and individuals, which helps us to connect quicker.

 

Whilst not constrained, most people that apply for apprenticeships are usually just starting their career – straight from school or A-levels. In general, apprenticeship schemes, and in particular the ones at BAE Systems, take the duty of care and support seriously. We want to show how we guide and support the apprentices, without limiting their opportunity to grow and push their potential.

 

 

There’s no point doing an apprenticeship if you’ve already done your A-Levels: 
No, this is not true – and a bit misleading. I would’ve had the same choices with or without A-levels. By doing an apprenticeship scheme, you have the opportunity to gain extra qualifications - aligned to your career direction. Also, by having a salary while learning, you learn to be self-sufficient faster. In fact, I learnt a lot more about myself in the first three years of my apprenticeship than I have in the rest of my career. 

Won’t I miss out on the ‘University Lifestyle’?:
To be honest, I don’t miss what I haven’t had. I also had more disposable income to enjoy myself outside of work. If apprentices miss the University experience, then university students definitely miss out on the apprenticeship experience!

I didn’t study Computer Science, am I still eligible?: 
100% yes! All apprentices have a wide range of qualifications. Qualifications indicate your ability to learn, but don’t necessarily need to match what you’ll be learning on the apprenticeship.

 

Not at all. While many assume apprenticeship schemes are only for school leavers, it really isn’t the case. Older candidates hear ‘apprenticeship scheme’ and get put off, but if they saw it as a ‘vocational development programme’ they would see it differently.

 

There are no age limits, but sadly people put limits on their own potential due to cultural or societal assumptions. The more life skills, confidence, drive and determination you have, the more you will get out of an apprenticeship. 

Will I be thrown in at the deep end?:
Most likely, yes – but not without support. An apprenticeship is the time to try new things and challenge yourself. To use the analogy, the deep end isn’t as bad as you think, and there’s more room to grow. You are more likely to hurt yourself if you jump into the shallow end. If you are risk averse, then take a measured jump in the middle of the pool and learn that way.

 

For example in my area - sales apprentices are assigned to sales teams in their first week to engage customers and markets, and while they may have no idea of what to do, they’re assigned support. It is OK to make mistakes and to fail, failure teaches you more than winning does. If you’ve never lost, made a mistake or struggled, the first time you do will have more of a negative psychological impact. If you learn from the errors, you’ll truly appreciate the small and big wins.

 

For example, when learning to weld, a task took me 2-3 weeks longer than most, but I kept at it. Eventually I realised it was down to technique, but the achievement and feeling of success I got from solving the issue myself was worth more than if I had done it right the first time.

Joined BAE Systems: March 2020 
Year joined apprenticeship scheme: 11 months
Location: London

What was your path to choosing to follow the apprenticeship route vs. university?
I went to University to study International Business. In my final year I completed a coding module and fell in love with it, so I started to teach myself different coding languages. After graduating, I set up my own food truck business ‘The Toast Club’ and also carried on teaching myself coding languages. Owning my own business was such a rewarding experience at 23, however peeling avocados for 9 hours a day made me realise it was not what I wanted to focus on career wise right now.

 

A year after graduating I decided to take on coding as a full time job which is when I started looking for apprenticeships, and found BAE Systems’ apprenticeship scheme, which was perfect!

Why BAE Systems’ apprenticeship scheme?
Out of all the companies running similar apprenticeship schemes, BAE Systems had the best offer. Training is included from start to finish and from a reputable training provider. The prospects and opportunities advertised at the end of the apprenticeship scheme were fantastic, the company has a good reputation as an employer and the salary for the apprenticeship scheme was also attractive.

What was your key takeaway/experience as an apprentice?
No one is ‘too good’ or ‘too experienced’ to do an apprenticeship. Everyone on the scheme when I joined already had degrees and previous job experience beforehand, but none of us were afraid to take a ‘step back’ in terms of career levels to grow into something we loved.

How has your apprenticeship experience informed your career now?
Before joining the scheme, I had all the base knowledge I needed to become a Junior Software Engineer, but I didn’t know how to put it all into practise. I didn’t know the best practises, how applications worked together, how to test my application etc. The apprenticeship provided me with the tools to kick-start my career, and in a year I have been able to work efficiently as a Junior Software Engineer on two projects within BAE Systems. 

Do you have any advice for those considering apprenticeship schemes?
Go for it! It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past or how old you are, an apprenticeship is the perfect way to get the right experience for the career path you want. This apprenticeship has helped me to build the career path that I want to be in for the rest of my life, so it is invaluable.

 

My school and other local schools promoted either apprenticeships or University after A-Levels.

 

I got the best of both worlds, but I would say that you can still have a fun lifestyle while doing an apprenticeship, e.g. move to a different city (if that’s what you want), socialise with the others on the apprenticeship. The added bonus is that you will be earning money whilst doing it!

 

I didn’t study Computer Science either. No one in my apprenticeship group did, so that isn’t an issue!

 

It doesn’t matter what age you are or what experience you have, as long as you are eager to learn and a hard worker, the apprenticeship will provide everything else.

 

I wasn’t put into work until 4 months of teaching. So I definitely wasn’t thrown in at the deep end too soon.

Apprenticeship myth busting:

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Apprenticeship myth busting:

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Apprenticeship myth busting:

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Apprenticeship myth busting:

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