mechanical engineering apprentice Review

Aiding with day to day jobs around the building, involving maintenance, projects and decommissioning of old projects. we have lots of different bits of maintenance, some of the jobs I get involved in is the testing of relief valves, also every Friday we have to do a vibration test of all the bearings in the motors.

I have learnt plenty of new skills in the time I have spent here and also improved on some of the skills I already had. I now know how to use various engineering machines that before this apprenticeship I would of had no idea how to use. I have been taught how to weld, use a lathe, do pipe bending and many other things required to be an engineer.

I thoroughly enjoy working at NNL, I look forward to coming into work which I have never felt with any other job that I have had. Even the college side of things is good as I know it is teaching me valuable knowledge of how to succeed in my career.

I believe it is very organised compared to what I have seen at the other places I have worked, When you first arrive you spend a full year in a training centre before they allow you to go onto site, this will help ensure your safety and give you the knowledge required to actually help out the people you are going to be working with.

I receive plenty of support from my employer, if there is any problems they will try their best to sort it out as soon as possible, for example I had a problem with my pension, I contacted HR and they had it sorted within the day. If I ever need to do any college work at work they will allow me the time I need to get the work done.

Blackpool college, is ok but it seems like some of the staff aren't skilled enough to be teaching the subject that they are teaching. It seems like you get dropped into some of the assignments with little to no help at all, possibly because the staff aren't teaching the correct subject.

Id say half and half, some of the things I have learnt through college will come in handy throughout my career but some of it will be totally useless In the job I am doing. For example I am learning how to write a programme for a specific CNC machine which we don't have at work.

We frequently plan staff nights out which is something I have never experienced at places that I have worked before and I find quite enjoyable. There is also other bonding events that they arrange like outward bounds trips where you have to work as a team doing orienteering and lots of other things team building.

Yes

The company has lots of benefits that you wouldn't get at any other company. It gives you lots of opportunities for career development that you wouldn't get at other places. They like to hire within the company so if you start as an apprentice you could have the opportunity of one day becoming a manager.

Make sure anything you put into your application is the total honest truth. Make sure you communicate clearly and put as much evidence of things you have done in your life into the application. They like to see proof of things you may of built or or fixed. Team work is a big part of the job.