Design Engineer Review

As a design engineer it is my job to design and create products on our system so that they can be manufactured. Alongside this I am required to provide information on any issues that people might have with my work. I also try to help answer any engineering questions that people might have regarding products or processes used.

I have learnt how to use computer aided design and how to prototype them on a 3D printer. I have also learnt how to use several systems within Siemens. I have also learned how to use several pieces of machinery and how to set them up. I have also been able to learn from my degree course, since I have had to complete a professional project and also teach myself how to code for the practical element of the project.

Due to Covid starting as I started this course my response to this question might not be a true representation of what the course should have been like. Overall I believe most tutors have provided as much help as possible. Although I was based at a different college, UCLAN did provide access to the main campus facilities and tried to welcome us to the university as if we were students attending the main campus.

This could be where Covid-19 had a bit part to play in my experience. Due to the pandemic I have had tutors take early retirement, tutors leave half way through the course and of course had many disruptions to the course in general which has had a knock on effect throughout the two years I have been on the course. However, the tutor who has remained on the course throughout has done his absolute best to make his units as smooth as possible, even with a lot of pressure on himself. I have also had teachers at the college who are from different departments step up to help out in areas that were not getting the attention they required.

There are very few ways that my colleagues could help with the course itself, I have had help when it comes to having time to complete the work. Since there is a lot that needs completing and only one day of the week spent in college to work on it. I decided to complete a work based project for my degree and therefore I was able to ask some questions of people around the business about it.

One tutor has done an excellent job over the past two years to complete his unit on time and provide any information required to complete the unit. In other units it is a slightly different story since a new tutor has had to play catch up after joining with less than six months of the course remaining, he has done a great job in getting us to a point we should have been at several months prior to his arrival.

Unfortunately, the qualification I am working towards is completely unrelated to the work I complete on a day to day basis. I am completing a course in electrical engineering, which goes far beyond anything I complete in work. The only benefit of having this knowledge is that I have a much better understanding of the products we sell, however we do not produce a lot of them. which makes the information a bit useless except in very rare situations where I might be asked something.

In my time Siemens I have been on several team building activities. When I first started my time as an apprentice I went on an outing with several other Siemens apprentices, spending several days completing team building activities. We have also had a couple of team building exercises with my department and also been on several Christmas parties for the site, although covid has put a stop to all of this.

Yes

Firstly, there is the sheer size of the business and the opportunities that could present themselves to those who look hard enough. I also believe that Siemens cares a lot about their employees and offer good benefits. I have been able to complete several apprenticeships in my time here and have worked my way up from a level 3 BTEC to a level 7 Degree which has been great for me progressing my career.

In the 6-7 years I have been an apprentice I think the most important thing is to try and absorb as much information as possible. Some things might seem unrelated to your role but there are a lot of crossovers in processes that could help you at some point. Also, understanding what is needed for a department to complete their role makes you a more well rounded employee that can anticipate and prepare for issues that might occur. I would always look to build up a network off the back of the high quality of work you produce or your attentiveness. Making yourself known within the business (for the right reasons) is always good and could lead to some interesting opportunities appearing that might might not have happened without it.