Maintenance engineer Review

Every day I am at college in my first year where I learn about trains and parts that are relevant to my job role. In half terms I am in the work place and gain first hand experience on my job which is useful and fun. It also breaks up college work.

When I started as an apprentice I had no hands on mechanical or even electrical experience. Therefore since the start of my apprenticeship I have learnt how to use various tools as well as gaining knowledge on the trains and how they work. I have also learnt how to work better in a team

My programme is quite enjoyable when doing the practical stuff. I feel that getting hands on and getting my hands dirty is more exciting than sitting in an office. Obviously we do have to do theory and this can be a bit boring at times but overall I enjoy my programme

My programme is organised well and structured so that I have enough time to do all of my assignments. It’s layered out over 3 years and each year I know what my programme offers and what I need to do in order to get the correct units so that I gain my quals.

The employer hitachi are really helpful. They always check on how I’m doing every couple of months and have a review with me and monitor my college work. They do this along side NTAR and set me goals to achieve. I can always ask people in the work place for help as well

The support from my training provider is regular. They always hold reviews and give sessions at their base in Northampton every few months. We had a fun on boarding week where we took part in loads of different activities. They also talk to my college and check up on my progress

My qualification is relevant to my role and very specific. I am studying a rail btec and going into a job that is railway engineer. I have a lot of experience working on train parts just from college lessons and understand how bogeys and pantographs work just from college not even work.

There are not so many activities to get involved in that I am aware of, but then again I’m not often in the work place. I find that a lot of place that have extra activities have a better team bonding as they make friends with their colleagues which is nice

Yes

Hitachi is a great prospect and has a growing nature. They invest a lot into their apprentices and offer them a lot of room to get better and work their way up the company. It is amazing to have bagged such a great apprenticeship and I am really excited for my future

I would advise others applying for hitachi in being themselves. Hitachi is a friendly company that offer people jobs from all backgrounds and cultures. It is a nice environment to be in when working so I would recommend being polite and professional. When writing a cv I would always be short and direct.