Wood Shop Apprentice Review

My role is to learn the production of the wooden parts in a Rolls Royce car. These parts include the dashboard, doors and center consoles. The woodshop is split in two buildings the wood side and the lacquering side. As an apprentice I do placements of around 12 weeks long in different areas so depending where I am the day to day is different. With most areas your team have a morning meeting to discuss what needs to be done for the day.

During my apprenticeship I have developed my team working skills and communication as I have found that clear communication is key as this prevents problems from occurring which could cause delays with cars launching. Effective team working is important to ensure jobs get done. I have also learnt how to use wood working machines from college like the dimension saw, spindle moulder and pillar drill.

I really like the mix between on the job training and college as I get to mix with people at work and students my age. I enjoy learning all the processes involved to make the wooden parts in the car as this widens my knowlege compared to people who just work in one area.

The apprentice program is fairly well organised as I have a spreadsheet which tells me what area I should be in and for how long. I also have placement sheets which contain objectives and goals which need to be met by the end of my placement. This means I can see where I need to improve.

In terms of support when I move to a new placement I am allocated with a person that already works in that area so they can show me how to do things. As there are two shifts it means I get to work with many differnet people which can give me different tips and ways of doing the jobs.

The college course I have been put on isnt really relevent to production of the cars as the college course is making furniture with hardwood, however, work is veneering work. On the other hand these skills are more useful when I am in my bespoke placement. I recieve feedback on work I hand in to college so I can improve.

The college course is furniture making so many of the skills I learn there arent useful in the production of the cars. However, skills like sanding and polishing can be used in both furniture production and production of cars. The theory side which I learn at college helps me at work as I understand stuff like wood defects and how wood is effected by different conditions.

I am not aware of any extra curricular activities as I am not really intrested in doing any. Rolls Royce do have a family event once a year which means you get to meet and see families of people you work with. However, BMW employees do get discount off gym memberships and bikes which could be used for sports or social activities.

Yes

Rolls Royce is a really good employee and appreicate the apprentices. They give a detailed apprentiveship program which will widen your knowlege in that industry. The pay is really good compared to other apprenticeships around. BMW also offer you alot of benefits like a good pension, discount off BMW and Minis. They also give you discounts off shops and services.

I would say when applying for the apprenticehip is to do a really detailed CV with all the experiences you have done, including qualifications and work experiences. It is also helpful to show items you have created to show what you are capable of. During the apprenticeship I would say ask lots of questions to gain as much knowlege from different people. Also dont worry about making mistakes as this is a part of learning and you can always improve on them.