Lab Ops Technician Review

In my apprenticeship i have rotated around all the different departments within the company to find which one i am most suited at. My final job role is a 'Lab Ops technician'. This involves stripping, rebuilding an analyzing turbocharger components before and after testing. I also fit turbochargers onto gas stands and then run the relevant test required that is requested by the engineer. Within Lab Ops, i work in a team of around 25 people. I find this is a good amount of people to learn from and it gives a good variation of skills. I also meet representatives from our customers and find out what their job roles are within their companies.

Throughout my apprenticeship my skill set has improved greatly. In 4 years my hands on skills have improved to a point where i am now working on projects outside of work using skills that i have learn within work. I have completed a BTEC Level 3 qualification & i am now finishing a Level 4 HNC. Once this is complete i have been accepted for a place at University. I am a qualified first aider and have attended numerous courses within work to help with my job.

In the 4 years i have been at Cummins i have thoroughly enjoyed the process. Mechanical Engineering is something i have been interested in throughout school so i knew this was something i wanted to do as a career. I enjoy working with my colleagues and get on well with them all. I feel i can always ask for help without a fuss.

Overall i feel like i am a recognized part of the time here at Cummins. I have meetings with my manager every 6 weeks where we discuss my progress and how i am feeling. I have rated 9 stars rather than 10 as due to it being a large company, it is possible that i may not be as valued as much as working for a smaller company.

I find the structure of the programme at Cummins very well organised. On the first day i had a 2 day induction of how everything works such as pay,holidays etc and a talk through the company values. The training i have received is very varied due to me moving through the different departments. All the apprentices have a rotation plan showing which departments they need to be on during certain dates.

My training provider is Kirklees College. Overall i have had a good experience with the college and i have found it to help me in the workplace. Some tutors can be slack with marking of the assignments and can often not provide constructive feedback.

I find that i receive plenty of support from my employer. If i ever have any issues then it will always be sorted by my manager. If i have a lot of college work to get through then the company will allow me to have extra time at work to get it completed. Any other issues to do with pay, holiday etc are always sorted promptly

I find my salary to be more than enough to cover my outgoings. The pay we receive is more than any other apprentices in the area. Our salary increases each year throughout the apprenticeship and we also receive annual pay increases of a good %.

I have completed numerous events outside of work throughout my apprenticeship. These include community events at schools, events at the NEC and i am also part of the sports and social club which includes discounted days/weekends away at events.

Yes

I find it is a very fair employer to work for with lots of opportunities to improve my skills and progress to different rolls. They offer sponsored further education alongside a competitive salary.

Firstly, make sure that the job role is something that you are interested in. Put lots of time and effort into to the application form to make sure that it is faultless and prepare well for the interview.