Machinist Review

Most of the time I had a good amount of work to do. Sometimes if my work load was too light I could seek out more work from the wider team which was very rewarding and gave me a wider range of projects to work on. I also got to experience high work loads at times which was a very useful experience.

In my opinion the best aspect of working at Cummins are its Vision, Core Values, Empowerment, Future Opportunities. Currently there is lot of emphasis on latest technologies, digital communication and to deliver the best power-train. There is a lot of positive atmosphere and great work culture.

The team ethos at Cummins is apparent. A place where people think collaboratively and continuously work hard to exceed expectations. Most of all I enjoyed the people I worked with on a daily basis, forming lasting relationships and connections.

My manager constantly helped me improve my machining skills and co structively criticised me when appropriate. Aside from daily duties Iattended off site trips, training courses and even gained recognition from the Project manager on morethan one occasion.

My programme consisted of theory based learning in a college for two days a week. Followed by pratical learning at the manufacturer's for 3 days a week. The induction was brief and lasted a week. Was then allocated a role within the CNC Machining sector. Where I continued to learn and grasp new skills with the support of my colleagues and personal manager.

Support is always available throughout the course. First point of contact is to refer to your colleagues. Then seek information or guidance from the manager if you're at all unsure. If not then contact your group tutor or organise a meeting with your tutor to express any concerns.

Naturally it is a hard working environment and so you can't expect people to be chatting all the time. However everyone does stop for short breaks and a quick chat every now and then which really breaks up the work. This also helps to get to know your team better and some teams have weekly meetings just for more personal matters which was really good.

There was always a lot of opportunity to learn more and develop. There are a lot of training courses that are open to everyone and so i put myself forward for a lot. These range from an hour or two to 3/4 days. Along side this i feel like my colleagues have invested a lot of time in me and i have been able to reward them with my hard work.

The company have a sponsorship system whereby they may offer you a graduate job at the end of your placement along with £1500 for your last year at university. The number of sponsorships varies year to year depending on a corporate decision and you are directly competing against the other placement students.

Yes

Helps you build a character and deal with real time issues. Promotes out of box thinking. Good support from the manager and all the team members whom you work with. Learn new skills and apply them to solve real world problems. Develop a sense of financial independence as the course pays well too.

There are a lot of opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work. Every employee must do at least 1 full day of volunteering a year, usually done on weekdays. There is a wide variety of organisations you can support and some placement student commit a lot more than the 8 minimum hours, working with schools and charities.