Current Manufacturing Engineer (Degree Apprentice) Review

I am a first year Degree Apprentice for Jaguar Land Rover. The job title I hold is Current Manufacturing Engineer. The daily tasks that I have to conduct is based around ensuring that the production line stays operational. The daily interactions internally include anyone from the shop floor and up to the senior managers. This varies on the severity of the problems found. The daily external interactions include talking to contracted companies and sometimes suppliers that wish to trial new components.

The company is currently sponsoring for me to do a foundation degree in engineering. They plan to sponsor me to complete a bachelor's degree in Engineering at Warwick University. Jaguar Land Rover also have many opportunities to gain further training and skills through training courses offered by the company or by contractors. The main skills that I have picked up or improved while doing this course so far is my presentational skills that have been developed during group activities or projects. I have also developed my skill in problem solving through paying attention to detail.

The time I spend within the production line at Jaguar land Rover is very enjoyable as I am constantly working and having new problems or issues that appear that require solving. The team that I work with are all helpful and willing to assist with any issues that I have within the workplace. The other apprentices on the course are also like minded making it an enjoyable atmosphere when in other locations such as the college which the training is done. In terms of my expectations from the company they have been exceeded in the placement as I thought they would be too busy to assist me but they all are willing to help.

The manager that I am under when in my placement makes me feel valued by assigning me tasks with some importance to the company. However the apprentice manager has yet to have a one to one meeting with me and instead has only had meeting with a handful of the apprentices. In this sense I feel as though I am not valued as much as the other apprentices on the course.

When at the college to complete my foundation degree the course does not feel very well organised as very few course structures were given at the start of the year. Some are still unavailable today. This means that I am unable to plan ahead of time what needs to be done for the different assignments. The structure of the apprenticeship needs some refining as times in which progression to the next stages are unclear. However when in the work placement the structure and organisation are high as there is always projects for me to join in on and help to solve. It is also clear what meetings I need to attend and when and where they are.

The current training provider being the college I attend have what I feel to be lacking in support. This is mainly due to there not being a set course structure that I can look at to find what the subjects contain and what is expected of me during assignments. The support received from the lecturers could be improved as only a few of them will look through an assignment draft before the due date of the assignments.

I have received good amounts of support from Jaguar land Rover. My manager was open to my requests for support through projects at work. My mentor that I have been assigned is always open for supporting me through the apprenticeship. The mentor also pro actively supports me by letting my manager know what times I will be in the placements and also informing me on reviews to discuss how I am progressing. The work placement support is always open through either face to face discussions or through emails. The HR team is based a few steps from my desk so I can see them about any potential issues I may have as well as having an online HR site that allows me quick access to support from there.

The salary package that I have been given meets the costs of my course. I am currently renting a house with some other apprentices in Leamington Spa and have the option to move around as the apprenticeship requires. The travel costs are also covered within the salary package. If I need to travel between work sites then the company will also pay for me to do this. There is also enough of the salary package to pay for essentials such as food and utilities while leaving some space for social activities. The wage package also increases if certain criteria is met. I will also not have any student loans or course fees to pay as the company are sponsoring me to complete this course.

There are few opportunities during working days as they take up most of the day starting at 8am and finishing at 5pm. However the half day Fridays means that the weekends are longer to enable for more activities to be done. For example, I recently took part in a charity run along with my work department on the Saturday. Due to the other apprentices being like minded they are also interested in the same activities meaning that if you are looking to start a new sporting activity then others are likely to start with you. The apprenticeship also has a yearly event in which the apprentices are split into groups and take part in the Micro Tyco event to raise as much money as possible for charity.

Yes

While the college needs some improvement I find that the overall experience so far with Jaguar Land Rover has been very enjoyable. This is also a good way to gain skills and knowledge while also having the industrial experience to your name. The company are also very supporting and understanding when it comes to difficult or stressful situations.

During the application process make sure to put across the points that makes you stand out against others and dont be afraid to use other experiences that have no relevance to engineering to express your skills and knowledge. During the interview make sure to be honest and truthful while not being afraid of the person conducting the interview. The other areas I would say to prepare for in advance as they can approach faster than expected with multiple assignments having the same deadlines.