Mechanical and electrical engineer Review

On a day to day basis we carry out standard maintenance on some of the assets across the sites we cover, we respond to reactive tasks and take part in projects. Generally we service assets, fix or replace where we can, attempt to diagnose if it's withing our capabilities and have a good laugh doing it.

So far I have learnt mechanical skills and in the future will begin to learn electrical skills. Things involving using power tools, bench fitting, engineering principles etc. I've learnt how to work well in a close knit team and how to get the most out of a working day.

So far I am absolutely loving the program, the people I work with are great, Thames have been an excellent support when issues occur and it's so interesting working in the industry it's hard for me to have a boring day. The college side of things has been fun, especially during the practical lessons

The Thames delivery has been excellent, the team and my mentor are really supportive and help me with what ever I need. The college delivery has been tricky in regards to structure, but that is being worked out. We are the first year of this delivery plan so there were bound to be links to iron out.

An amazing amount of support, especially with managing the college work load and the apprenticeship requirements. They react quickly to anything I raise. They are also incredibly supportive when it comes to any issues that arise outside of work and are very accomodating in my experience. It's a pleasure to work for a company that cares.

So far the college side of things has been difficult, the structure is very fragile. Down to staffing issues and the pandemic, but they are always quick to answer an email and provide us with any learning materials we need or tell us where we can go to find them.

The learning from the college has provided me with a generalised all rounded knowledge that I can very easily apply to my work. Having the basics taught at the college allows for me to spend my time at work learning the job rather than the basic skills needed for it

I don't take part in anything at the moment, but there are events that Thames carries out to raise money for charity... There is also the internal forum where I am sure there are groups that take part in activities, I haven't had the chance to have a proper look through it all yet.

Yes

They really care for their people and their well being, there are schemes available to promote health and wellbeing... They constantly ask our opinions and take our ideas on board, they value our feedback and I believe that we are treated fairly. We are kept informed of business updates and I certainly feel valued.

If you're not prepared to get your hands dirty and get stuck in to what ever task you have to do, be it on the tools or in the offices, I don't think this is the place for you, Thames is proactive and reactive so you need to be as well.