Toolmaker Review

I currently attend Swindon College 5 days a week. 4 of those days are spent working towards the level 2 engineering foundation competence qualification. This provides a foundation of skills that will be required when placements start within the workplace. The other day is spent working towards the level 3 qualification which is started in the first year and then finished in the second. Units covered in this include maths, engineering drawing, electronic principles, health and safety, mechanical principles and mechanical measurement and inspection techniques.

During the apprenticeship, I have learnt and developed many skills. The new skills learnt include: Milling, turning, hand fitting, electrical installation and installing and maintaining fluid power systems. The main skill that has been developed is my team working skills. This is because my year group all work as a team to make sure non of us are struggling in any of the units.

I thoroughly enjoy my program and learning at Swindon College. I have learnt so many new skills which are constantly being developed through the theory and practical tasks at college. Everyday I look forward to coming into college to expand my knowledge of engineering and improve my practical skills and cant wait to start placements within the workplace.

The programme is very well structured. On the first day we were provided with an induction on the business and a brief history. We were also given insight into what we would be working on at college which was very useful as it allowed for use to gain some basic knowledge before starting. We are given time on a Friday for some self study which allows use to work on any assignments or reports we have due in which is extremely helpful.

The support from the employer is really good. We have weekly meetings with our manager to track our progress and to check if we have any issues. If I do raise any concerns my manger is very good at working with the college to make sure they are resolved in the best way.

The support from Swindon College is really good. Our course tutor is very knowledgeable and answers any questions I have based on the work. In addition to this, extra sessions are provided by the College to help those who are struggling. I attend the maths session which has been really helpful to me and improved my understanding in lectures.

The qualifications I am working towards in College are directly linked to what I will be doing in the workplace. This is really helpful as all of the knowledge I have learnt at college can be directly applied to tasks that I will eventually undertake within the workplace. Working on these qualifications has allowed me to know more about my job role and industry.

There are many extra-curricular activities that are available for me to get involved in. These include the cycle-to-work scheme which allows you to make reduced monthly payments for a new bike. The mountain challenge in which apprentices from all of the plants across the UK, compete in the hopes of winning a trophy.

Yes

It is a great company to work for, they truly care about there apprentices and recognize that they are the future of the business. The support that you receive from the business and college is really good and helps you to achieve the qualifications and knowledge that you want. Finally, everyone is very helpful and if you are struggling they will always find time to help you out.

Make sure to take time with you application and complete it to the best of your ability as questions will be asked about the information you put on there. Be sure to refresh your maths and English skills as you will have to complete some online tests during the process. Finally, be patient as the process can be quite lengthy.