Vehicle mechanician Review

I am a vehicle technician so my day to day role can vary between completing vehicle services, oil changes, PDI's etc. There is a wide variety of work because I am training to become a mechanician which means I am learning both mechanical and electrical jobs. I can also be involved in the wider company, attending CSR events promoting both the brand and the apprenticeship. I am also involved in some small projects within the department assisting with the smooth transition to our new workshop.

I have learnt a lot whilst being at college completing many motor vehicle BTEC units. I have also learnt how to use a milling machine, a lathe and have completed many units in other hands on qualification such as hand fitting and electrical wiring. I have also been able to attend internal training courses within JLR and gained knowledge of the wider company. I also have to opportunity to go on external courses to learn about HEV.

I have enjoyed the learning and training within JLR and have learnt a lot. The company culture is different to how I would expect it to be, due to it being a manufacturing company, but I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming the business was. The overall apprenticeship programme could be improved though as I haven't enjoyed college due to the lack of organisation and staffing.

At times I do not feel like I am valued by my department, this is due to the lack of support sometimes when it comes to further training. Little to no responsibility is put on any of the apprentices which at times can be good but I feel like sometimes I am not needed. Externally when attending placements in other departments I feel like I am valued and I am given a lot more responsibility and better projects to complete.

The programme is not very well organised or structured. The college training at times can be non existent which means a lot of time is wasted waiting around for lecturers or work to be given out. The past two years I have been self teaching due to the lack of staff within the company able to train us. There is no structure throughout the whole apprenticeship, there is an end goal but no steps to get there.

I receive an adequate amount of support from my work based learning manager. Every six weeks we hold a meeting to discuss my training and I can raise any issues that have occurred. Every 12 weeks a behaviour review is carried out with my supervisor and learning manager to make sure that I am behaving effectively within the work place.

I receive adequate amount of support from my employer. If there is any issues I am able to escalate it and it is dealt with quickly and effectively. There is a quick online process to contact HR and they guarantee a reply within 24 hours. There is 24 hr a day support team and whistle blowing helpline which I can use to report anything that I feel needs to be escalated.

My pay package meets the cost of living, I am able to rent on my own and have a car on finance. The JLR discounts also help to keep costs down. The six monthly pay increases are also good, this helps to keep you motivated and look forward to the end result. Due to the high demand for housing around the plants it is a lot cheaper to live further a field and cover travel costs. JLR also will help with the travel.

There are various events that are held outside of work that employees can attend. There is a grant that every employee qualifies for allowing them to pursue any hobbies or external qualifications in their own time. There are Land Rover social clubs and there is also volunteering opportunities. It is based in the Midlands which is a great location. There is always someone to look out for when out and about, it is a community in the community.

Yes

I would as it is a good company to work for and achieve and apprenticeship with. I would however advise whoever was applying to make sure that they achieve their a levels or equivalent and apply for the higher apprenticeship as you get better opportunities and it is a better overall apprenticeship to have than the advanced.

Advice I would give is to just be yourself at every step of the way and do not panic. It is not like a standard job interview, they are more looking at getting to know you as a person than to see if you know everything about cars. Just take the time to answer the questions truthfully and do not panic when completing the online tests.