Mechatronics Maintenance Technician Apprentice Review

by Unilever

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

5.8/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Shadowing Engineering Technicians and shift Engineers to learn different skills and develop my knowledge regarding the machines on site.

7/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Yes.

10/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

Interacting with the team is definitely a highlight and I enjoy learning about new things. Hands on work is definitely the most interesting but some jobs can become repetitive over time. The college side of work is more of an issue as it isn't particularly relevant to work on site.

7/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Not at all. Getting the information/help you need is often very difficult, especially regarding college work. Contacting people from the AMRC isn't much use as the typical reply takes weeks. There is no real apprentice support team on site either so getting help regarding the course is a pain.

3/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

Support from Engineering Technicians and shift Engineers is brilliant. However, there is no real apprentice support team on site and our management team don't have any information or a plan in place for the duration of the course. Therefore, you can go to them for support but might not receive the information you need.

5/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

None at all really. We have a 1 hour review every 8 weeks which isn't enough time to go into detail on your progress and address all the questions you may have. Furthermore, you can try contacting someone from the AMRC instead, but won't hear anything back for weeks.

3/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

I don't. The college side of the course isn't particularly relevant to the work we undertake on site. For example, we do a lot of welding, machining, projects, and in depth mechanical maintenance on site, which either isn't covered at all, or is done very briefly at the AMRC.

3/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Yes, there are a number of team building and external activities provided by the site.

8/10

9a. Would you recommend Unilever to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Competitive salary, brilliant workforce and teamwork, countless opportunities provided by the site, and it's an interesting and challenging place to work.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Unilever?

Ensure to remember: - The importance of preventative maintenance on site. - College work will build up quickly especially during the 6-month block release so it’s important to stay on top of it – The time in Sheffield will go very fast. - Everyone part of the Engineering Department is here to help so they shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions. - Making a mistake is okay if you learn from it and understand where you went wrong. - Although everything may be brand new to them, it’s much easier to pick up than they might think.