My Experience of The MBDA Work Experience Day
George Westbrook, The Bishops Stortford High School, Year 13
The day started off meeting at the MBDA main reception, where we were then taken to a conference room to undergo an icebreaker task, developing our communication skills with people who we had not met before and improve our overall networking skills. Once that task had been completed we had a talk from Rob Thornley, Head of Sales and Business Development, which provided us with information about the history of MBDA, how it fits into the current market and its current products.
We then listened to previous apprentices talk about their experiences in the company and gave us all a feel for what it would be like to work in the company. This included how the different apprenticeships are structured and opportunities that are available. We also met one of the managers in charge of a group of mechanical engineers, who talked about the values of the company and what was valued in potential candidates. This was followed by a chance to meet the apprentices and talk to them face to face, asking them any questions that had not been answered in the talk. This was a very valuable experience as it enabled us the get first-hand experience of what it was like to be an apprentice in the company.
Lunch was provided and we were given the chance to network with MBDA staff, this was great as it enabled us to ask further questions and improve our networking skills. Once we had finished lunch we had a tour around their testing facility where we saw the programmes they use to test the capabilities of the missiles and show the potential buyers the capabilities of their products. Once we were back from the tour we had to complete a series of tasks in groups that tested our logical thinking and teamwork skills. The first task involved theoretically transporting various things with a set of strict rules and had to be completed in a short time period.
The next task involved the different groups finding an everyday problem and engineering a solution to that problem. This tested our teamwork skills as we all had to create an idea that we all agreed on, create the solution and then present the information to one of the ex-apprentices. Following our presentations, we were all given individual feedback on our contribution to the task, what we did well and what we could do better. This enabled us to see what we could do in the future to improve our skills that are valued by many employers.
We finished off the day learning about how to apply for the different apprenticeships and what to include in our application. At the end of the day, I felt as if I had gained lots of valuable information about not just their apprenticeships, but all apprenticeships. It broadened my horizons with regards to the choices I currently have, and what I could do with my future. Overall the day was very enjoyable and would be extremely valuable to anyone considering an apprenticeship.
