Powertrain Research Engineer Review

My role involves supporting research projects through leading individual work packages. I generally work in the area of electric vehicle battery packs, investigating new approaches to their design and manufacture. I also get to spend some time working in the lab to manufacture state of the art battery cells to test and analyse.

I have developed my presentation skills whilst on the apprenticeship through the requirement to present findings and results. I have also developed my problem solving skills further, particularly when on placements in new departments. Another skill that is often overlooked in development is the management of your colleagues, in particular managers to ensure you get the best experience.

On the whole I do enjoy my programme. I enjoy the fact that I get a good degree from the University of Warwick, and that I am building up some useful work experience at the same time. There are elements that I have not enjoyed, which are relating to challenges with management. In order to get the most out of the apprenticeship it is vital that you are strong in what your goals are, or you may end up being left aside.

Throughout my time on the programme, the organisation and structure have both improved. There is a well established system for who to go to with which issues, and on the whole these colleagues are working to help you achieve your potential. There is also an element of flexibility in the organisation of the programme, which is useful in allowing you to reach your personal goals.

There is lots of support available in the business for apprentices, however finding it is not always simple. Your work based learning manager is the most supportive person for your development and will help you to achieve your potential. The amount of support from managers varies from excellent to very little. This makes it important to be strong in defining your goals with your manager to ensure you get the support you need.

Again, there is lots of support available to apprentices from the training provider. There can be challenges due to not being located at work near the university, which may make it difficult to access the full suite of support. There is however, lots of support online including lecture notes and recordings, ebooks and more.

The qualification allows me to perform better in that it shows that I am capable of working in the roles that I want to. Having the qualification to back up your ability is useful to ensure you are given tasks which will challenge you and ensure you develop to your full potential. There are some modules that are useful, but they are not always using the most up to date information.

In your individual teams, there are often social events held after work, and most will be happy to support you in organising them. Recently there have been lots of events for people leaving. You are also able to access the university of Warwick's social clubs, however this can be difficult when they are held during work hours. There are well advertised professional networking and information events. There is still a divide between graduates and apprentices in terms of social groups, with graduates having a far more active social scene.

Yes

You can gain a good engineering qualification alongside work experience in a large automotive OEM. Working in this environment will prepare you well for the challenges you may face later in your career. The company is good at showing an interest in its employees, and if you take note of these initiatives and are proactive, you can often benefit your development.

Don't worry as much about the academic side of your application, just ensure that you are very strong at maths. With that basis, JLR are most interested in your passion for the details of engineering and your behaviours. Being able to demonstrate a personal passion for engineering and innovation will help you in applying and definitely when working at JLR.