Engineering/Manufacturing Apprentice Review

I'm a manufacturing apprentice and work in a number of departments within operations. Most of my work consists of assisting the manufacturing process through tasks such as organising tooling or resolving errors. The job requires a fair amount of interaction both internally and externally but can be tedious due to the simplicity of some work.

I'm currently working towards an NVQ, HNC and HND with the potential to progress further afterwards. I have undergone several internal training courses in regards to safety (e.g. manual handling and risk assessment training) and am enrolled on a college course which has involved various subjects such as health and safety and CAD design. My time within the company has taught me a fair amount about the work place in general and has been good experience of 'working life'.

The other apprentices and graduates are friendly and chatty so working with them defiantly makes the experience more enjoyable. Most people are fairly friendly and welcoming but in terms of culture, there is a clear divide between different areas of the business. The company recently underwent a 'restructure' to try and bring the different areas closer together but some areas (manufacturing included) were hit hard with redundancies and reorganisation which has left morale quite low. As mentioned above the work can be tedious and boring so the main redeeming feature for me are the people.

Put bluntly, I don't feel valued by the company as a whole although within certain projects/areas people are more appreciative. Often apprentices are brought into areas with tedious, simple tasks. This is expected but can be in areas completely irrelevant to the apprentice's actual job (e.g. sending an engineering apprentice to do data entry) which feels a bit pointless. Some managers are very appreciative and rewards such as meals out or gift vouchers are sometimes awarded for successful projects/large tasks.

The induction was a fairly smooth process and integrating us into the workplace was handled well. Getting support with work or other issues is quite simple and study time is generally given if you request it from your manager. My apprenticeship scheme started well but deteriorated with the previously mentioned 'restructure' and is now less structured than before.

The training provider checks up on us regularly to see our progress and ask if we have any concerns. This is done via a formal review with our assigned review officer and is a good way to stay on track for your qualification. I enjoy the day release to college as the work is interesting and the staff are helpful and knowledgeable.

Each apprentice has an assigned mentor who is generally knowledgeable about the company and the scheme, this can be very helpful as your mentor can offer advice and guidance about how to handle different situations. Most people are happy to help you if you ask them and the HR team can be reached easily if you have any serious issues.

The salary/package is competitive and meets my needs well, I can cover all my expenses (e.g. rent, food, car) and have money left over to spend or save as I wish.

The company runs many fundraising events for charity, which they encourage employees to get involved in. These range from bake sales to dragon boat racing and so you should be able to find something you can take part in. The company also run several events a year for employees such as the Christmas party. The apprentices/graduates/placement students also organise events or activities quite often and these are quite fun.

Yes

The company is generally well organised and most employees are friendly and welcoming but my experiences so far have been fairly poor and have left me with a negative opinion of the manufacturing/engineering apprenticeship scheme. From speaking to people however their experiences in other areas or roles have been better and most people enjoy their work.

TRL quite often help run events in the local community so having experience with voluntary work (such as helping out with a scout group) will be helpful. As TRL is a defence industry type company truthfulness during your application is important!