Manufacturing engineer Review

Working in the machine workshop doing turning, milling, hand fitting and CNC work to get an understanding of how the machines work and what they are capable of before going on placement to help with the efficiency of production lines and design of new ones that may be needed soon.

Since joining, I have learned how to use a manual and CNC lathe, a manual mill both horizontal and turret, different hand fitting techniques and joining methods and about different materials and what they can be used for in different circumstances and how to use them most effectively where needed.

I am enjoying the program quite a lot, there are always jobs you can be doing and you are given some amount of freedom once you complete your set work to make other items of interest that will also develop your skills. The work culture is also very relaxed and everybody is very friendly

The program could have been better structured though for my course this is the first time they have ran this so most of the issues have been sorted out. Due to the nature of the company, there is a fair amount of paperwork to ensure everything happens as and when it needs to,

They employers provide lots of the support in the form of on site staff that can help with practical issues and managers are normally happy to walk or talk you through and processes of which you are unsure or at the very least, to point you in the right direction.

The tutors from the training provider are very helpful in the way that they both teach and work through assignment including providing feedback. They have clear policies and guidance in place for safeguarding and any other issues you may come across while undertaking the qualification. They are always available through email for help aswell.

The qualification provided helps me understand the decisions that go into designing and optimising a production line as well as some base understanding of different fields in engineering such as electronics. It also helps us to learn and understand the quality of production and what can happen if it goes wrong

There are some social events that are organised through an apprentice organisation that sometimes includes airsoft, trips out and others. There are also company wide events that people can get involved in throughout the year including team challenges that are done with other companies across the country in an event.

Yes

It is very fun and the benefits provided can be very helpful in a range of different ways. There is also the flexibility to change roles within the company later in your career so you dont have to stay with one thing forever. It also feels very satisfying knowing what the company you work for does.

There will be assessment days with interviews that might seem daunting, as well as all the paperwork due to the formality of the company but they arent too big of an issue. Again, the security measures that are in place to get on to site may seem huge but they become normal soon after joining. Also regarding pay, this goes up every year while still an apprentice, jumping to £18,000 in year 2 for my program