Test Facilities Engineer Review

My role is very varied on a day to day basis. I am responsible for supporting the engine test beds across the Whitley site when required. This can involve providing new equipment or modifying existing equipment, whether that be electrical or mechanical. I may also be required to fix any issues that occur with a test or any test instrumentation, to minimise downtime on the test beds.

My job role especially requires me to have a detailed knowledge surrounding electrical and mechanical systems, meaning I have developed many existing skills as well as learning some new ones. Also in the time at college and university, we have workshop and lab time whereby practical skills are taught such as milling and turning.

I really enjoy several aspects of the programme including the varied nature of the day to day work. It means that the job never gets repetitive so I am never bored at work. The workload is tough, as you have to manage uni/college work with the job, but this can be managed with good time management.

The programme is well organised as there are many apprentices at Jaguar Land Rover, so the company is used to looking after and supporting apprentices through their time. I have found that the structure of the programme has allowed me to be able to manage the workload and benefitted me significantly.

The majority of the time, there is always someone who is happy to help you out when required. Sometimes people can be busy and this can be difficult, but generally apprentices receive lots of support. It is known how tough the programme can be so for this reason, apprentices are constantly reviewed to ensure progress is made.

There were issues in the first two years at college, with regards to being supported by certain tutors. However generally this gets much better in the later years of the apprenticeship when you reach university. Lecturers are always prepared to put time in to help out as long as you are willing to learn.

The qualification is an Applied Engineering degree which means that a lot of the work is tailored towards the job role and the course content is negotiated with JLR. This means that lots of the study is aligned with the job role, however there are still some areas which may not be as applicable to my particular role.

There are extra-curricular activities to take part in, for example I am involved in a 5-a side football team. There are also chances to join uni societies however I find that will the travel and working hours, it is difficult to commit to these societies. This depends heavily on the flexibility of your manager and the shift patterns.

Yes

Jaguar Land Rover is a prestigious organisation who have a good reputation across the UK. The apprenticeship programmes offered here provide a hands on focus as well as a recognised qualification from Warwick uni. On top of this the salary is extremely competitive and the people here are friendly and happy to help.

Make sure that you do your research on the company before attending any interview, to show you are genuinely interested in working here. Also ensure that you are punctual and turn up with plenty of time for the interview. In terms of the assessment centre, ensure that you are confident but not over confident, as this can be seen as a negative.