Controls & Electrical Technician Review

My day to day job varies as I can be working on projects designing drawing electrical schematics, wiring the panel and fitting parts, as well as programming the panel. I also attend to breakdowns in our pilot plant which can range from simple fixes like a button needing replacing or more complicated parts needing rewiring or fixing like PCBs in flowmeters. Currently a lot of my job is more safety related and I am working on making sure equipment is safe to use before it is used and if it is not creating whatever is required to make it safe and implementing that in a timely manner

I have developed my eye for safety and it is a lot easier for me to spot issues with equipment from the simplest issues of the panel does not have the correct signage on it or the E-Stop is not PUWER compliant to interlocks or safety circuits are not sufficient for the application they are used in. I have also developed my fitting skills and am much more competent at putting together equipment when our mechanical engineers are busy with machining or other tasks I am unable to do. I am much more confident in responding to emails and taking the lead in meetings and discussions as well which was something I never thought I would do just two years ago.

I am at the end of my programme now and I have enjoyed it mostly, there were some parts that were not anyones fault like during COVID where everything shut down and we had to get used to new ways of working, it was a strange time but its did not really stop my progress as my company was keen to make sure I was still receiving some sort of training and any help I needed they were willing to help me. It has been fun and I have learnt a lot and met many new people and done different courses and gone to a couple of our other factories in the UK. It has been very enjoyable.

The programme was initially well structured between college and work and when it came to doing my competencies I noticed that all the units were very similar and I would benefit from doing different ones, so my manager and assessor from college sat down and they discussed with me what else was available and I changed some of my units to make the programme better. Other than that it has mostly been smooth sailing and easy to get through.

I receive as much support as I require from my work, initially I was at college for most of the week so I was given the Friday at work to work on any assignments I had been given at college so I was able to keep on top of all the work from college and then as I started to stop going to college as much and went down to one day a week I stopped using the Friday but I was told I can always take a day if I need to catch up on any assignments. My manager was very supportive and had quarterly catch ups with me to check on my progress and see if there was anything I needed help with and if I needed to I could contact my manager whenever I needed to and they would get back as soon as they could to see how they could help.

I have received very little support as once I am shown something once I am generally okay with just cracking on with the tasks and getting done what needs to be done. If I needed any help or support they were right there and able to help me. I had already done my HNC before I started so my work was already up to standard and they only needed to explain to me how to reference my work.

The qualifications that the college provided me with have been useful for expanding my knowledge in more than my specific job and I am able to help out in other areas, for example if I have to wait for parts to come in I am confident to pick up some small turning jobs or fitting tasks to help the team out when it gets busy. I was not able to do anything at the beginning and now I am much more comfortable, competent and confident in my skills to do my job and also help with some basic tasks outside of my job

There are multiple clubs and social activities at the site I work at. There are seasonal sports clubs like tennis and football, which are played more in the summer time. There is also a choir which is throughout the year. Every year some of the staff get together to perform a Christmas panto in December normally it is around the same time as our Christmas party. We also have team building days within our smaller teams on site and have the chance to do volunteer days as well. It is also possible to go to networking events or showcases. I went to a small one hosted by Routeco in Milton Keynes where different companies where showing what they can do and giving demonstrations

Yes

They are a big company with lots of opportunities to grow and develop within your role when you first start but also into another role if you decide that you would like to try a different career path later. They are flexible and my managers so far have been supportive and active in my career development. I wanted to do my degree top up whilst I was still on my apprenticeship and so I had meetings with my manager and their manager and we agreed that I could go and they would pay for the qualification. This is one of the big ways they have helped me progress, learn and grow. There is also opportunities to move within the company and secondments that you can do.

The interview I had was two days and most of the time they are just trying to get to know you and how you think, they are not trying to trip you up. So just be yourself and if you are not sure just ask, the people who interviewed me were nice and understanding and explained further if I needed it.