Assistant Solutions Engineer Review

I am an apprentice assistant solutions engineer,my team and I are currently looking at the refurbishment of boreholes across the Severn Trent region. My day-to-day tasks include liaising with our design & build partners (contractors,our feasibility partners and various different teams across the organisation.This can take a number of forms such as face-to-face,emails,phone calls etc. I am currently responsible for managing the budget for multiple projects that my team are working on. I am also solely responsible for liaising with our in-house modelling engineers to get some discolouration modelling performed for some of my team's projects.

Since being at Severn Trent, I have undergone a number of training courses,working at height, working in confined spaces,fire marhsall trainng,mental health awareness are a few examples. I am also booked to do an APM project management course in the near future, I have greatly improved my engineering understanding of the water industry and improved my communication skills. I have undertaken a number of PEO (Performing engineering operations) units as part of my apprenticeship and I am currently doing a mechanical HNC course and a L4 NVQ in engineering.

I am really enjoying my programme, I have learnt so much already and there is still lots more to learn. It has been made clear to me that there is lots of potential to progress within the organisation. The company culture at Severn Trent is great,everyone I have met at Severn Trent has been very welcoming and supporting when I have asked them to explain something to me. Working at Severn Trent has exceeded my expectations and I am really excited about my future at Severn Trent.

Ever since day 1,everyone I have met at Severn Trent has made me feel welcome and valued. I have been given important to tasks to do that fed into presentations being shown to the senior leadership. My manager has regularly been giving me positive feedback on my work and my attitude to tasks and shown that he values my viewpoint.My manager has also trusted me to meet with our feasibility partners alone to discuss future project works. I have been nominated as employee of the month within my team for the support that I demonstrated to welcoming the new intake of apprentices.

I have found my apprentice programme to be very well structured, I began with a week of team building in the Lake District with my cohort of apprentices.I then had an 8 week induction period which included meeting my team and learning about the fundamentals of the water industry and Severn Trent. I have found my manger to be very supporting of my development by allowing me to undertake additional training activities and assisting in volunteering activities. I have a regular 1:1 meeting with my manager to discuss my development. The tutors at the training facility that I attend have been very supportive and I have made reference to how engineering concepts discussed in class can be applied to the water industry.

I have periodic reviews with my NVQ assessor in which he gives me feedback on my NVQ assignments and checks that the other aspects of my course are going well. My training provider has made training resources available on the Moodle Virtual Learning environment which means that I can access them outside of class time. The lecturers are the training centre I go to are passionate about helping the students to excel in the engineering industry and actively encourage students to push for the higher grading criteria.

I have found my manger to be very supporting of my development by allowing me to undertake additional training activities and assisting in volunteering activities. I have a regular 1:1 meeting with my manager to discuss my development. I have found Severn Trent's HR team to be very supportive as they actively provide the apprentices with details of external schemes that we can take part in to aid our development and raise awareness about apprenticeships and the engineering industry. The HR team often ask the apprentices if everything is going well. Severn Trent offers a wide range of support facilities depending on the nature of the problem for example every employee has access to a support service that is external from the organisation and confidential. Everyone I have met at Severn Trent has been very supporting and want me to do well, I am often made aware of different opportunities that are available for me to do.

The apprenticeship at Severn Trent is well paid and I live relatively close to my main place of work and as such my current salary meets my costs and I don't have a large fuel bill.

There are occasionally work evening meals and leisure activities taking place in the community are advertised on the notice boards at work. There is also the opportunity to do volunteering in the community.

Yes

I would recommend Severn Trent to a friend because there is lots of potential for career progression and Severn Trent supports you in undertaking qualifications and taking part in development opportunities. I have also been made to feel welcome even when I first joined to organisation and knew very little about the water industry.

I would advise those applying to Severn Trent to bring some examples to their interview of engineering activities that they have done or schemes that they have been a part of that demonstrates their passion for engineering.