Apprenticeships

I have been successful in securing a Degree Apprenticeship with BAE in Aerospace Engineering and with MBDA in Systems Engineering. Over the next few weeks, I am going to have to make a decision over which one I am going to select to pursue from September.

Throughout my experience applying for degree apprenticeships, I found the process both challenging and rewarding. For each application, I had to clearly articulate my motivations—why I wanted to work for the company and pursue a degree apprenticeship. My initial application for MBDA required a tailored cover letter, while BAE Systems asked for detailed written responses and background on my previous experiences.

Both companies included psychometric tests as part of the second round of their selection process. These assessed cognitive abilities, personality traits and behaviours. The third round required me to also complete recorded video interviews with scenario-based and behavioural questions. These felt awkward at first, but I was given time to prepare and even re-record my responses, which helped build my confidence. The final round were assessment centres that were conducted online and included interviews (a panel for BAE Systems, and a current apprentice for MBDA), technical questions, and a virtual group task in MBDA’s case. What stood out to me was how friendly and informative all the assessors were—they gave genuine insight into their roles and the company culture. This made me feel more at ease during the interview process, motivating me to really want to work in one of these companies.

One of the biggest tips I’d give to anyone applying for a degree apprenticeship is to build a portfolio of experiences—work placements, part-time jobs, volunteering, or extracurriculars. These help you to draw on real examples during interviews. I’d also recommend applying widely; the more applications you submit, the more familiar you become with the process. This increases your overall chance of being successful. Many companies also use similar platforms for online testing. For both pre-recorded and online interviews, it’s important to be concise, use the STAR technique, and make your answers personal. Do your research—read the brief carefully that is sent to you prior to the interview, look into the company’s values, and prepare thoughtful questions to ask at the end, as this shows a deeper level of interest in the company and more specifically, the degree apprenticeship.

College helped me massively by opening up opportunities and introducing me to the degree apprenticeship route through events such as the careers fair. A visit, organised by college to BAE Systems at Samlesbury gave me a real insight into the types of apprenticeships available, which helped solidify my decision. I was also able to talk about my visit during my interview, demonstrating my real desire to work for them, throughout the different opportunities that I had been offered.

The whole process is very demanding, but never give up.  Even if you are not successful, the skills you are developing will certainly benefit you in the future – interviews, tests, preparing and delivering presentations, updating your CV, writing cover letter; the list is endless. This process will really build you resilience and through perseverance, it will eventually pay off.

Receiving both offers have been a proud moment and a real affirmation of the hard work I’d put in – this process started five months ago, when the engineering degree apprenticeships mostly are advertised from 1^st November, but start looking just before then for other disciplines.  I’m excited to take the next step in my career with one of these companies and look forward to everything that lies ahead.

“Completing in-person work experience was a pivotal event when choosing my career path. Initially, the traditional route of going to university was my chosen plan for me to qualify as a solicitor. However, speaking to law firms and future employers opened me up to an alternative route – Apprenticeships.

An Apprenticeship is a great option which allows you to learn, gain industry experience (which is crucial when pursuing a career in Law) and earn a competitive salary. Partaking in work experience opens you up to new opportunities and allows you to make connections with professionals in your chosen industry. I completed a week’s work experience in the summer of 2023, and I have since enrolled on a L7 Solicitor Degree Apprenticeship with Spencer Churchill with whom I completed my work experience. If I didn’t choose to do work experience when it was offered by college, I would never have had this opportunity given to me”