Apprentice M+E Engineer Review

My role involves both Mechanical and electrical theory. I am shadowing a commissioning engineer as they cover a wide range of skills throughout their day. On a day to day basis we go to different sites, sometimes overviewing sub-contractors work and providing transfers and permits, other times we are commissioning instrumentation such as flow meters and pressure transducers.

I have learnt many new skills and developed existing ones. New skills include things such as reading and understanding electrical drawings and P&ID's etc. Before this apprenticeship I had never seen anything like this before and now I have a better idea of what I'm looking at if I look at one. I have developed existing skills such as wiring things like plugs and wiring things into panels.

I really enjoy my programme so far. Every day is different and we cover a lot of different sites and schemes meaning my depth of knowledge in the industry is increasing by the day. I enjoy learning new things and seeing new experiences, which happens often when seeing new sites.

I think the apprenticeship scheme is well structured. There was an apprenticeship training matrix developed by some of the engineers which outlines a list of different documents I should be able to complete and different things I will eventually be able to commission. Having this list is helpful to give a structure to my learning.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. There are regular meetings between myself and my line manager to review how the apprenticeship is going. I am able to ask for any sort of support at any time and whoever I ask will always try their best to help, and if they can't , they will put me in touch with the right people.

The training provider so far have given little support. We don't receive a great deal of guidance and when told we can email any queries, we don't receive a reply for several weeks. We still aren't fully aware of the B-tec course we will be undertaking for the next few years.

The training provider so far hasn't helped a lot, as there was an issue so we have been delayed by several months. We still haven't received any theory work to get on with, so all of our learning currently is through the company itself and our mentors. This has been the only learning we've received so far.

There are many extra-curricular activities to get involved with. I recently wen go-karting with a lot of people from work, which was part funded by the company. The company actively promote activities like this and have a team of people dedicated to organising events like this. There are events at least every month.

Yes

The company offer a great apprenticeship scheme to get into the engineering industry. They offer a lot of support and give you as many experiences as possible to give you a better understanding of how a construction company works, as well as the tools to make it work. It opens a lot of opportunities to progress up in the company as well.

Have a positive attitude at all times. Looking and sounding motivated, even during the interview stage, makes a good impression on other employees. Always strive to work to the best of your ability and help out with any jobs possible, as this will not only give a positive impression, but will broaden your skills.