Apprenticeships Success

Five TBSHS sixth formers have been offered an apprenticeship to start in the autumn.

Mya King, Daniel Lewis, Cate Munir and Max Andrews have gained prestigious apprenticeship offers at GSK Engineering, British Airways, the BBC and construction company Turner & Thompson

One of our female sixth formers has been awarded an apprenticeship as a Police Constable with Hertfordshire Police, but due to their security rules, she cannot be identified.

Daniel  – British Airways Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice

During my apprenticeship I will be working at British Airways doing maintenance on aircraft in the hanger and on the tarmac including emergency work and scheduled maintenance. During the selection process I had to complete online assessments then, after getting through this stage, I had to complete a virtual interview which was me filming myself answering questions. The final stage was an assessment centre at British Airways headquarters at Heathrow. During the day I had an interview, a group task to see how I communicate with others, and also a tools skills test to see how well I could use common tools. At the assessment centre I found out that there were 1500 applicants to the apprenticeship and only 70 people got invited to the assessment day.  Only around 20 people  received a job offer.

I chose to go down this route after speaking to people who already work in the aviation sector. They said the best route to take is the apprenticeship as they teach you everything you need and make sure you get your qualifications. During my apprenticeship I will be based in Heathrow airport for my first 5 weeks then for the next 9 – 10 months I will be based in the Cotswolds at Cotswold airport completing my level 2 Aircraft Maintenance Diploma. Then the next 2 years I work towards my A licence in Aircraft Engineering and after the 3 years, I hope to work towards a B licence in aircraft engineering.

Mya – GSK Engineering

In September, I am starting an Engineering apprenticeship with GSK (GlaxoSmithKline). I will be carrying out routine maintenance on production equipment and fault finding, diagnosing and resolving breakdowns on the site in Ware. My studies will be carried out at college for the first year and then in the second year I will be on site more. This option was the best for me as I engage more with hands-on learning, which is what I will gain from this apprenticeship as I will be learning the specifics of the machines when working with other engineers on site. The application process was easier than some of the other ones I did. I had to do an online interview, which consisted of me recording video responses to the questions asked and answering some multiple-choice questions on how I would react to certain situations. When I found out that I got invited to the assessment centre I was slightly nervous, but when I was there the interviewers eased my nerves a lot. The assessment centre consisted of 3 assessment activities, one was a practical task relating to the job role I applied for, and then an interview which focused on my own personal strengths and how I would deal with situations on and off site. Finally, I had to prepare a 5-minute presentation which was based around my hobbies and how the skills that I gained form these hobbies will help me with Engineering. When I got the offer, I was given some feedback of how I was throughout the day, which was helpful as it helped me identify what I could do better next time. Overall, the process was guided by members of GSK, and I was able to connect with some employees to help me through the process.

Cate – BBC

“In October 2023, I was doing lots of research upon different options for my future – which mainly consisted of looking at universities. I went to the Careers Fair and met a guy from the BBC there. He mentioned that they offer lots of different apprenticeships, so I went online and did some more research into it. I came across their Level 6 – Broadcasting and Media Systems Engineering Degree Apprenticeship.

The idea of doing a Degree Apprenticeship sounded really interesting. As it means that I get both a degree and a guaranteed job out the other end. So, I decided there was no harm in applying. 

Once I applied, it had quite a long process. In early December 2023, I got invited to complete an online assessment, which involved a series of scenario questions that required me to rank order a series of responses in regard to my approach to the given scenario. Later on that month, I was asked to complete a video interview – where I had to record my answers to their given questions as well as write an answer to one of the questions. It wasn’t until February that I received an email saying I have been put through to the shortlisting stage and will be notified if I make it any further through the application. I soon got invited to attend two interviews – one with the BBC Apprenticeship Schemes Team and the other with two BBC Engineers. For the latter interview I was required to prepare a presentation on “How do we technically make a radio/tv programme?”.  Once these were over it was simply a waiting game on whether I had been accepted or not. Just less than two weeks later, I received a phone call from one of the members of the Schemes Team congratulating me on the good news. 

The Apprenticeship is only on a conditional offer – so I still have to obtain enough UCAS points. However, it means that I will spend some of my time at Birmingham City University and the rest of my time working with the BBC Sports Team in Salford, Manchester. As it is an Apprenticeship, I will be getting paid for it as well as them paying for the time spent at University.

I am very grateful for this opportunity!”

Max – Chartered Surveying

I received a Level 6 Apprenticeship offer from construction firm Turner & Townsend. The role I have been offered is cost management and I will be studying towards a degree in chartered surveying. The application process consisted of a cognitive test, online interviews and finally an in-person interview. The best way to prepare for the interviews is to be prepared and do research on the company you are applying to.

I chose this route as university did not interest me and instead, I wanted to go straight into a formal work environment. The role I have been offered is a five year course where I will spend 1 day a week at Southbank University. The other 4 working days will involve going into the office in Central London.

Hertfordshire Police

As someone who’s been interested in the police force since a young age, I knew that being a police officer was the right route for me.

I took part in a week’s work experience with Hertfordshire police during year 12 work experience, and it taught me many valuable lessons into what life is like as an officer. It also taught me the risks and dangers of real-life policing and how to overcome them.

After the insightful experience, I decided that the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship route was perfect for me, as it combined on the job training and classroom learning.

The application process involved 4 different stages. The first being a National Sift, which is a psychological test to assess whether an individual has the correct attributes and attitudes to perform the job effectively. The second stage was an Online Assessment Centre, where I was asked to carry out an online competency-based interview, a briefing exercise and a written exercise. The main stage of the process was the in-force interview, where police recruitment officers asked me a series of questions involving scenarios which I had experienced and how I had reacted to those situations. After passing all of these, I now have to undergo pre-employment checks which include medical, fitness testing and biometrics.

Upon completion of these I will then begin the course in September with 22 weeks of classroom training, fitness, and personal safety courses. In these weeks I will learn how to become an officer and the values and responsibilities I must follow in order to be successful in receiving a degree in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University. This is a level 6 degree in Professional Policing.

I prefer this option over university as it allows me to study and earn a degree when I’m living at home, whilst earning a competitive salary.

The application process highlighted the importance of not only studying but of also getting involved in as many different opportunities and experiences whilst in the sixth form as possible. These helped to increase my confidence and taught me about how to deal with different situations but also gave me lots of examples and evidence to use in my application.

Fiona Price, Post 18 Co-ordinator commented “Congratulations to all these students that have worked so hard to gain places on such prestigious apprenticeship schemes with major national and international organisations.  The students’ articles outline the huge competition that there is for places and also the resilience, motivation and determination needed to successfully pass a variety of selection and assessment stages.  Their offers really do reflect their proactivity, talents and skills.    I am sure that they will all make fantastic contributions in their respective roles while gaining their varied professional qualifications.”