An introduction to the Engineering and Manufacturing Apprenticeship
Typically with this apprenticeship, it lasts up to 24 months on the programme before entering gateway and completing your EPA (End Point Assessment). You will be working towards your EPA through completing a portfolio during your time at the apprenticeship by writing around your experiences and how you have been hitting certain competencies. The whole EPA process should be completed within 5 months from the confirmation date that the apprentice has successfully gone through gateway.
In terms of the portfolio, this is going to be your main evidence to proceed to the EPA as this will have the records of all the tasks completed during your time at work and how you have developed as an apprentice from the start to the end. Apprentices must submit their portfolio before going through your gateway in order to make sure you complete the programme. Your portfolio is made up of on the job experiences, supporting evidence by providing screenshots of the relevant company activities.
There are 3 tasks required to complete your EPA to a high standard
- Having a work place observation completed with a quality assurance assessment so that your employer has made the necessary checks to confirm that the apprentice has what is required to progress in their EPA
- Completing their project/portfolio and presentation with a quality assurance
- To finish off the EPA, a professional discussion will be held with the apprentice that involves an assessor asking questions to the apprentice regarding their portfolio and show examples of their work to the assessor to make it known that the apprentice is competent and has been successful in their role.
Top tips in succeeding this apprenticeship (From my experience)!
- Make sure you understand the course you are studying to a very good standard, this will remove any confusion throughout your apprenticeship.
- Learning how to manage your time will be crucial to your success as it is easy for workload to pile up significantly, communicating when you are not available to complete a task will really set you apart from the rest in making sure you have adequate time to complete your assignments
- Take notes during your working hours to get inspired and add to your portfolio. This will provide a lot more detail to your work and highlight your experience
- Making your employer aware of your apprenticeship course at all times will allow them to manage how much work you receive and become more understanding. This will improve your experience as an apprentice. Engaging employer will be vital to the success of your apprenticeship.
- Learn beyond your apprenticeship course to help you understand the industry a lot better. This can be achieved by having conversations with people who are at your workplace as well as extensive research on areas you would like to learn about that fascinate you. This will make you standout from the crowd and make you more valuable as an apprentice
- Always ask questions! This is the way to grow and develop by learning from your mistakes as well bettering yourself. Your apprenticeship provider and employer is a good place to start as they can guide you through difficult times and provide wisdom over to you as an individual.
To Sum up
When it comes to completing an apprenticeship, it can be a little bit overwhelming at the beginning however once you start to learn your role and what is required of you, it starts to become easier each day. Being consistent with your work and constantly learning will be the success to your apprenticeship. Being proactive will make sure you prepare for all the things that come your way in your apprenticeship as things unexpected things do occur and will need dealing with.