APPRENTICE STRUCTURAL LAB FITTER. Review

MY JOB TITLE IS STRUCTURAL LAB TESTER/FITTER AND I ALSO WORK DOWN IN WATER INGRESS WHEN REQUIRED. THE JOB INVOLVED FABRICATING, DESIGNING, AND OTHER SKILLS SUCH AS WELDING AND FITTER COMPONENTS AND CHANGING COMPONENTS ON VEHICLES. THE JOB ITSELF CAN SOMETIMES BE FAIRLY SLOW WITH NOT A LOT OF WORK AT TIMES.

I HAVE GAINED A BTEC LEVEL 3 IN ENGINEERING FROM THIS APPRENTICESHIP, I AM ALSO HALF WAY THROUGH COMPLETING MY NVQ LEVEL 3. I HAVE HAD TRAINING ON HOW TO OPERATE A CRANE AND TRAINING ON HYDRAULICS, WELDING AND FABRICATION SKILLS, ELECTRIC VEHICLE SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHER HEALTH AND SAFETY COURSES.

I ENJOY THE PROGRAMME WHEN I ACTUALLY GET TO WORK ON THE VEHICLES AS THIS IS WHERE MY PASSION LIES. SO I THOROUGHLY ENJOY MY JOB AROUND 40% OF THE TIME AT THE MOMENT. FOR THE REST OF THE TIME I STRUGGLE TO REALLY GET INTO MY ROLE WHEN FABRICATING PLATES OR DRILLING HOLES.

I DO NOT FEEL VALUED IN JAGUAR LAND ROVER IN MY CURRENT DEPARTMENT. THERE IS VERY LITTLE PRAISE HERE FOR THE JOBS YOU COMPLETE TO A HIGH STANDARD AND ON TIME. IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS WATER INGRESS I FEEL HIGHLY VALUED AND FEEL AS THOUGH I AM PART OF A TEAM, IN STRUCTURAL TESTING NOT SO, AND I FEEL THIS FEELING IS WIDESPREAD THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.

MY PROGRAMME IS NOT VERY WELL STRUCTURED AT ALL. I HAVE ONLY BEEN ASKED HOW I FEEL MY WORK BASED PART OF MY APPRENTICESHIP IS GOING ONCE AND THAT WAS ONLY RECENTLY, AFTER WORKING HERE FOR OVER 3 YEARS. I HAVE STILL NOT BEEN TOLD WHERE I AM GOING TO BE PERMANENTLY BASED AT THE END OF MY APPRENTICESHIP AND I ONLY HAVE ANOTHER 6 MONTHS LEFT, I HAVE COMPLETED 3.5 YEARS ALREADY.

FROM MY TRAINING MANAGER I RECEIVE A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR MY COLLEGE SIDE AND FOR MY WORK BASED SIDE. HE TRIES TO SUPPORT ME IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE AND TRIES TO COMMUNICATE TO MY MANAGER/SUPERVISOR HOW I FEEL TOWARDS THE APPRENTICESHIP HOWEVER WE FEEL MY REQUESTS ARE OFTEN IGNORED.

I RECEIVED VERY LITTLE SUPPORT FROM MY EMPLOYER. WITH MY NVQ I AM ASKED FOR COMPLETE IN MY OWN TIME, HOWEVER IT IS WORK BASED SO IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. I FEEL MY TRAINING IS NOT THEIR FIRST PRIORITY, I FEEL I AM JUST USED AS CHEAP LABOUR. I DREAD COMING INTO WORK SOME MORNINGS AS I REALLY DON'T ENJOY MY JOB. US FITTERS WERE PROMISED MEETINGS TO REVIEW OUR PROGRESS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE SPECIFIC STAFF TO SUPPORT THE APPRENTICES BUT THERE IS NONE OF THAT HERE IN THIS BUILDING.

THE SALARY IS BRILLIANT. MORE THAN ENOUGH EVEN WITH HAVING TO TRAVEL 100 MILES A DAY TO GET TO WORK.

WE ARE ABLE TO ATTEND CSR EVENTS ALONG WITH OUR COMPANY.

Yes

I WOULD, BECAUSE OF THE PAY. AND I KNOW OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN JLR ARE BRILLIANT WITHIN THE APPRENTICESHIP.

DON'T GET STRESSED OUT BY THE DAY SELECTION PROCESS OR THE ONLINE TESTS. MAKE SURE YOU MENTION ANY SKILLS OR HOBBIES YOU HAVE WHICH MAY BE WORK RELATED.