Craft Mechanical Apprentice Review

I am a craft mechanical apprentice and have been doing 4 month placements to rotate me round the business and show me everything that is on offer. I have been doing machining work with various machining centers and fitting which involves fixing parts together, fabrication and repair work. I have had to communicate with to workers in the department and get fully integrated into their team. These tasks can vary, depending on the placement, and make have me working on them all day or my working time could be taken up by lots of smaller ones.

Prior to starting my apprenticeship, I knew very little about engineering and, with the help of this course, I feel I have grown tremendously. I have achieved a BTEC and am now working hard on my HNC. I am developing my new knowledge/skills, communication and team working daily and am trying to absorb as my knowledge from the people around me as possible.

I enjoy working at Siemens in some departments as they are either very interesting placements, jobs or teams of people but as such it is only ever for a maximum of 4 months. I personally enjoy the fitting placements more than the machining and as such feel it is a shame that you move once you've gotten accustomed and into the rhythm of a placement. I do however enjoy the variety as it allows me to see a large numbers of areas of the factory so I will be mindful of which places I like when the time comes to apply for a role.

I feel very valued working at Siemens. The company has treated me well over the time I've been here and has a number of schemes such as the pension matching and profit sharing. In my placements, I am able to liaise with my team and managers for the assistance or information I need and am being given tasks which by doing myself; make me feel more integrated.

The apprenticeship has been well organized over the years with minimal problems arising. The induction and training was smooth and timetabled well and I never felt as though I couldn't ask for help. Placement review dates are often changed the day after being set and whilst an email is sent to my personal account, I am unable to view the information on it with it being an outlook meeting so have to wait till I'm next on the work system to find out when it has been changed to. This isn't a large issue but can be on machining placements when the computers are needed for work to be done.

I have been able to get the assistance when I have needed it.

I receive some support from my HR as they verify and identify errors which may be wrong with my NVQ before it gets verified. I am also being given information by my manager that I may have missed or is being relayed from HR.

At the minute, things are going well though I have no major expenditures (car, partner, property) so am saving a majority and am on the maximum pension payment bracket.

I have been on a trip with work for the first year apprentice awards where I came second and have done voluntary work at Scampton airshow so yes, the are opportunities for people that look for them.

Yes

The are a very good company who treat their employees very well. The work is varied and interesting.

Do some basic research before the interview so you know a little bit about the company, some principles of gas turbines and their history and that you go in prepared and looking well presented.