M&E technical trainee Review

I am currently in training to become a mechanical and electrical maintenance technician. I currently show up to work and I am to go with a "mentor" to assist them with jobs to be carried out. As an apprentice it is my job to record what I am doing and use it to write up jobs to pass my NVQ to become qualified. I use quotation for the word "mentor" as most Thames employees refuse to be mentors as there is no financial incentive which according to most there used to be. So as apprentices it is our job to find someone to pair with each day we show up for work and hope that they cooperate with us enough to get our required writeup material to pass our NVQ.

Yes. I have learned a lot in my time through Thames but not without great effort and initiative. I feel my new skills and development could be greatly heightened if communication in Thames was better and training wasn't so difficult to organise and receive support in. A lot of the time us apprentices don't know what we're doing and it causes stress and confusion. Moreover, without a set mentor who actually mentors and follows guidelines we are more prone to not receiving the necessary training we need at the time we need if at all.

I enjoy learning and I am passionate about becoming good at what I do but that enjoyment is dulled with all the confusion and lack of support received. I feel that if greater effort was put in to support us we would get a great deal more of enjoyment and competency in what we do

Our training provider is terrible. We are all greatly behind in our NVQ work because of it which has had and will continue to give us negative consequences. Training days are scheduled without referring to our annual leave booked or other scheduled events on our calendars. Which makes us feel insignificant and causes us stress as we are pressured into cancelling annual leave or making excuses for being booked onto another event within the same company.

It's difficult to receive support as there are too many people in charge stepping on each other's toes. I feel I do receive support at times but the support received is challenged by others in charge. For example, we'll be supported with something and we think it's sorted then another person will say something that goes against it so you end up back at square one.

Not much really. We are simply left to our own devices until someone from Thames tells the provider off and then the provider puts it on us learners to step up a game we didn't know we were playing. We are told to do something by the provider then Thames tells us to do something different then we have a review and we are questioned on why one or the other wasn't met as both parties want different things.

Reading through the criteria it had at times made me conscious of things in the workplace I didn't realise I was to be conscious of. Also, it has helped me structure my write ups which I suppose is to be expected. I feel simply going out and doing the role is helping me get better and not necessarily my training provider as they don't understand fully how we do things without Thames.

There are some social events outside of work that employees get involved in but we are quickly made aware that you must first become a part of a clique. If you are not within the social circle taking part in the events then you are not taking part in the social events which is normal but does make us feel left out at times.

Yes

I feel that if you can ignore all the disorganisation, lack of support, social clique-like individuals then Thames is a solid career to be apart of. It must go with saying that those recommended need to ask lots of questions when they feel the need and keep a head on their shoulders as Thames can be dangerous and difficult if one joins and simply does what is told of them without questioning if that senior person knows exactly what they are asking of you. I do not regret my time with Thames but it has been difficult. With time you will find your feet but you have to build a thicker skin and ensure you are taking charge of yourself because no one will do it for you and it's easy to fall behind.

ASK QUESTIONS. You will find a lot of information is left out from the interview process. Make sure you take responsibility for your own health and safety and learning as others will give you there own version of things which will not always work for you as an individual. If you decide to use your initiative, be assertive, not be concerned of making yourself "look silly", be yourself and be ready for anything then you should have good time being at Thames.