Material Management Apprentice Review

My job title is Materials management, in this my daily tasks are To make parts stocked in all warehouses dependent on weekly report Place Renault lock and key orders Chase planners for lost paperwork for shipments Arranging premium transports with DHL Updating transport identification information Making sure that we can fulfill orders for America Arranging the payment to companies when trailers have been at dock for longer than they should have In doing this my interactions internally are generally talking to the planners to ensure that there is enough stock in every location. Whereas externally I have to contact planners and suppliers internationally when I require things like paperwork.

We use a range of different bespoke systems in order to carry out daily tasks. Therefore i have learnt how to use them during my time of being here. Also my knowledge of Microsoft Access has been developing as I have been doing training to help improve it.

So far I have really enjoyed the apprenticeship. This is because, I find the work which I take on very interesting and the team which I have around me, have helped my settle in very quickly which has made it more enjoyable for me. Before I started the apprenticeship, I had very high expectations of the quality of the program and since starting here, it has not disappointed.

I feel as though I am regarding as a normal worker, because the amount of responsibilities that are given to me are massive and this shows the level of trust that they must have for me.

The programme which I have taken on is very structured as we know what we are aiming for at the end of each year whether that be in work (CAP Targets) or personal Qualifications (NVQ Level 3, HNC, HND). The programme is also very organised as that we know what days we have to attend college and also when we need to attend certain events and when deadlines need to be met.

In terms of receiving support from the training provider, it normally depends how much support you personally need from them. For example if I have a problem with the work set from the college, I always know I can email or phone my assessor who can give me support and guidance to complete the work.

Since starting here at Vauxhall I have received a lot of support from them whether it be a manager of some department or a member of the HR Team. Furthermore, here at Vauxhall, there is also a Mentor System which has been set up and every employee at Vauxhall has a mentor. This is another great way of getting support as the mentor allows you to express any issues which you may have or allows you to raise any questions which you may have.

The Salary here at Vauxhall is very good. As an apprentice, most companies would only pay you the minimum apprentice wage however here at Vauxhall they pay a lot more as they feel you are a valued member of the company. The Salary which I have been given allows me to do all the things I want to such as, socialise with friends, travel to and from work and college and also purchase new items of clothing.

They are many opportunities outside of the workplace. For example Vauxhall don't just have the head office and warehouse, they also have the Luton Plant of which they make the new Vivaro. Carrying on from this, one company event which happened recently was the Luton Plant open day which allowed families to come round and look at the plant. We got involved by touring people round the plant and also helping the day run smoothly.

Yes

I would recommend a friend to Vauxhall because since starting here I have enjoyed every minute of it. This is mainly due to the way we are treated here (like a proper employee) and the way how Vauxhall feel about apprentices. Also, Vauxhall apprentices are not just given jobs which are made up, we have taken on proper roles and if we wasn't doing them someone else would be. Furthermore the benefits of working for Vauxhall are very good.

The main advice I would give to anyone applying to the Vauxhall Apprenticeship is for the application stage (English and Maths Assessment) make sure you have a look at some Maths questions so when going to the assessment you will have it fresh in your mind when answering the questions. Also I would say when at the Assessment and Interview day at Vauxhall Head Office (Griffin House) make sure you act professional throughout the whole day even at lunch time because people are always watching you and Vauxhall will not want to employee someone who is seen as rude and unprofessional.