Apprentice - Technical Review

Currently, I am at college completing a Level 3 course in Electrical Engineering whilst doing an HNC Level 4 for Engineering as well. During times where college is closed, I am working onsite at the depot which involves carrying out work which I am able to do on trains that come in. This could be a variety of activities such as work on the bottom of the train or in the interior of the train. At college we take part in activities such as Welding, Hand fitting and turning and milling machine tasks.

I have learnt a wide variety of skills since starting the apprenticeship. I have learnt how to carry out simple welding, how to use a lathe machine and also developed my hand fitting skills. At the depot, the skills that I have learnt include developing my analytic skills, ability to work within a team effectively, organisation and detailed thinking.

I am enjoying the Apprenticeship very much. At College, I am in the same class with Apprentices from the same depot I am based at alongside apprentices from a different rail company and we get on very well. When I am working at the depot, I get on with everyone very well and we work well in a team. My manager is a nice guy who i get on with very well. He checks up on me whilst I'm at college to make sure that I'm doing well and not struggling. The company treats me very good as a whole.

The apprenticeship is well structured. I have a review every 8 weeks to discuss how I'm doing and if I have any problems or queries. I have several lines of support if I need it which I find is fantastic. At college, I also get support when completing work if I need it. During my reviews, I am told when the next training is happening at what will be involved.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. I have direct communication to my manager. I have access to the HR team for my employer and also 24/7 IT support if I come across problems with the company laptop. I receive support from the Apprenticeship team who carry out my reviews every 8 weeks and my training programme.

I receive a wealth of support from my training provider NTAR. They provide my college with work based around the apprenticeship and also create the training programme that I go on each year. I am grateful for the support I get as it puts me at ease to know I have many channels of support if I need it.

At College, the work that I carry out helps me quite a lot on what I am going to be doing at the depot with my employer. I've been able to put some of the work that I've done at college into to practice at the depot. It has helped me to carry out tasks safely and to a high standard.

There are many extra-curricular activities to take part in through my employer. There are several social event through my employer at the depot that I work at. The training provider updates me with several voluntary initiatives that I can take part in and I am rewarded with points on a leader board with other apprentices. I am currently in a social media group with apprentices from all over the company.

Yes

I would recommend Siemens to a friend as you have a good work/social life balance, Siemens also provide us with a lot of benefits including an excellent pension scheme and other benefits. You would receive a lot of support form the company and would not feel like you're on your own. You also receive a good salary. The workplace is enjoyable to be in.

I would advise others that are going to apply for Siemens is to ensure that you do research on the company beforehand and ensure that you are up to date with the company. Make sure that you highlight your best achievements and show as much of yourself on the application and your CV.