Level 3 Engineering apprenticeships

[Anon751117000]

My son is 18. He left school part way through his A levels last year as he decided he did not want to continue and was really keen to do an engineering apprenticeship instead. He got really good GCSE grades.
Last year he applied for several and registered with the main training providers. He got through to the final stage of one but just missed out sadly. He then reapplied this year but was keen to be quite selective. He got through to the final 12 of an apprenticeship from over 2000 applicants but sadly did not get chosen (we have a lot of work to do on his interview prep but thats another story).

Looking for other's experiences or any hints/tips? He has found the training providers to be not particularly great - after having tests and interviews he just never hears from them again. They just never got back to him last year about any of their apprenticeships they kept advertising. If he emailed them he would just get the same stock answer back.

What have other's experiences been? Has it taken lots and lots of applications/knock backs? I know its highly competitive and he is keen to just keep trying.

Does it really get much harder the older they get? He's now worried that he could potentially be 19 when the next round of applications open again.

Luckily he currently has a full time job in a bar to cover him while he continues to apply.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner you are once again whistling in the wind on your one-woman crusade to protect the word engineer for those with Chartership status, despite all the evidence that it is a widely used term to describe a skillset. It is akin to 'scientist' or 'designer', both of which also have a Chartership status for those that want it.

'Doctor' is used more cautiously in the UK because it an offence to falsely pretend to be a medical practitioner, but it isn't formally a protected term like it is in some countries, and there is no similar law for 'Engineer'.

If you feel the need to distinguish your husband's status you need to refer to him as a Chartered Engineer rather than an Engineer.

Hopefully one day you will realise that it's offensive to belittle engineers who have no interest in Chartership.

@warmawhether I obviously do. And he’s a Fellow of 3 institutions. This slack attitude is a reason why we aren’t as good in this country as we should be. Of course after the same years spent training as a doctor or architect it should have a protected name, but we don’t see it as a regulated profession. Other countries do. We don’t recognize quality or the need for it and suffer accordingly.

We do recognise quality - we call it 'Chartered Engineer'. That is the protected name, and it is a regulated profession.

How are things now @Anon751117000? My DGD did a similar route. She hated A’Levels, had 2 attempts at 2 different Sixth Forms but decided they really weren’t for her.

I think you’re right that your DS probably needs interview practice but you’ve already recognised this yourself.

I agree that the Employers probably also want to know that he’s capable of working in a Team. Does he do any volunteering as well as his work? We have a couple of Steam railways within driving distance and also a miniature steam railway where you can see the older guys messing about with the trains all day. Would something like this be helpful? I know that’s the route my DS’ DF took when he got an apprenticeship with a heritage railway.

The OP is clear her son is aiming for a level 3 apprenticeship. Her posts make it quite clear he isn’t looking at the chartered route, but is looking for a hands on maintenance or technical apprenticeship.

Whether people like it or not, engineer is the term used in common speech for these roles. They are often advertised as ‘apprentice engineer’. Many, many years ago I worked in a factory and sometimes covered reception. Over the tannoy I would call for ‘an engineer on line 3’ etc. Everybody understood what the term meant. More highly qualified roles are distinguished by the use of chartered or the details in the advert. Engineer in the UK is a very broad term that can be used for those working in a design role and those working in a repair role.
The op is clear about the type of role her son is aiming for and was seeking advice on that.

Cambridge dictionary definition of engineer
a person whose job is to design or build machines, engines, or electrical equipment, or things such as roads, railways, or bridges, using scientific principles:
a civil engineer
a mechanical/structural engineer
a software engineer

a person whose job is to repair or control machines, engines, or electrical equipment:
a computer engineer
The engineer is coming to repair our phone tomorrowmorning.

@Owlbookend Well done you! Try looking at the various engineering institutions. They give details of what engineering really means due those contemplating a career in it. We need to move away from the fixing machines and empower young people to aim high. Or we’re just overtaken by others.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner I think the chartered route is great for those interested in it and with the relevant qualifications to embark on it. However, that wasn’t the route the op’s son was interested in. He was looking at technical and maintenance apprenticeships. From other threads, I genuinely thought you supported the apprenticeship route for students not considering uni and with a practical interest and aptitude. Maybe I misinterpreted. This is a young person who didn’t complete a levels and was looking for a ‘hands on’ role. I didn’t think the chartered route was most relevant to his situation.

@Owlbookend I 100% do support apprenticeships! However no one should cut off avenues to become a professional engineer either. Who says apprentices cannot become Technician engineers? That’s also a category of engineer and it’s perfectly achievable from a L3 apprenticeship. I’m only really pointing out what’s possible and I’d like everyone to be aware that they can achieve more but they need to know about it and how to go about it. Employers don’t always do the right thing by apprentices either and it’s too easy to keep them in a low level job. Having knowledge is power.

Also the DS here didn’t like A levels. He could look at alternatives to A levels but at 19, it’s more problematic and he wants to work.

My son did a degree apprenticeship.

He applied for 3. One he didnt hear from. One he was told he had got through to an assessment centre and to wait and not worry if he didnt hear back (six months later they wrote and said, sorry no more assessment places!). Luckily the third he got an offer and was already there.

He treated each application separately and they took him hours.

He only had their minimum grades at GCSE but a max grade L3 IT BTEC.

I think probably what won it for him was his ability to talk about IT and solve problems. He wouldnt have used the word passion but he would have exuded it. He didnt just study.IT hed built computers with a mate, and then for himself, repaired them and got into programming through minecraft.

Not sure if virtual work experience is any help (different ones on spring pod)

www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience/lift-off-with-the-civil-aviation-authority/WEXP-00274

If you live within commuting distance of an airport, don’t forget to check out the apprenticeships with both the airport and the airlines too.