Advice
Hi all,
I’m looking for some advice from people who have been through apprenticeships, engineering roles, or automation.
I’m currently doing a manufacturing engineering/automation apprenticeship and a year in with a large pharma company. On paper, it is a very good opportunity. The company is well known, the industry is strong, and I know having pharma/automation experience could open doors in the future.
However, I’m starting to have a few concerns about the apprenticeship and whether it is the right fit long term.
The main issue is that the learning structure feels quite poor at the moment. I expected there to be a clearer training plan, with regular exposure to systems, troubleshooting, projects, and hands-on learning. Instead, I often feel like I have to push or “annoy” people to get work or learning opportunities which sometimes happens othertimes I can be left to my own devices for days .
My manager is not always on site and barely interacts with me, and while people are generally nice, there does not seem to be a very organised pathway for apprentices in the team. No one is generally responsible for my learning and sometimes the days of doing no real work can get to me.
I’m also worried about whether I’ll actually come out of the apprenticeship with strong practical skills. I don’t want to spend years in a role where I’m technically in automation/engineering but not really developing enough to be useful or confident later on.
Im wondering at this point am I just wasting my time or is it just about toughing it out to get the degree st the end.
Thanks