Maintenance technician Review

Carrying out maintenance at a high standard on all mechanical plant, complying to a nuclear safety culture. Tasks involve maintenance schedule tasks, routine maintenance, statutory maintenance and defects. My personal responsibilities involve locating the item of plant or component that requires maintenance, either removing it and transporting it back to the workshop for overhaul or carrying out maintenance in situe, depending on the task required. All work must be carried out to a high standard and procedures must be followed in order to maintain reliable and efficient maintenance.

I feel that I have learnt a lot about maintaining plant and what it takes to keep work to a high standard. Not only hands on skills but human performance tools which are used to maintain the high standard and keep myself safe whilst doing so. Teamwork is vital within the workplace as keeping a healthy working relationship with team members and other teams makes the job easier along the way.

I enjoyed the programme, from the first 2 years in Portsmouth studying at HMS Sultan and living at HMS Collingwood. We had opportunities to travel to multiple countries and visit other Nuclear power stations to gain a better understanding of Nuclear safety culture. The final 2 years situated back at my designated power station have also been good. I feel that I have learnt many new skills and gained the confidence to carry out my role in maintenance to a high standard.

The programme as a whole is pretty good, the structure is set out for you at the start of the apprenticeship and your given support from your station coordinator whenever needed. The training is useful and relevant to station life. Once back into your teams during the final 2 years of the apprenticeship, you have previous apprentices who are now technicians helping you whenever needed, along with your team leaders who will answer and try to resolve any problems or queries.

Support is quite easy to come by, your manager is always available to help if they can do so but will go out of their way to make sure your problem or query is sorted. The HR team are only a phone call away if you have any problems with pay or holiday etc. On site we have a mechanical mentor who helps us with training and any other questions we have. We have regular sessions where we go through our qualification manual which has the required target areas for our discipline which need to be signed off prior to the end of our apprenticeship. If someone is struggling to get a specific area signed off then they can request help in that area which is handy in some cases.

I am currently doing a HNC in general engineering at my local college. EDF have given me day release every Monday to further my education and will help me with any problems I may come across along the way. Whilst completing my NVQ level 3, I received guidance in specific areas that required completing first. I was pointed in the right direction and had support whenever I may have needed it.

I feel that you learn a lot more during the final 2 years of the apprenticeship whilst actually working on site and doing the role day in day out. The first 2 years are sometimes seen as a bit of an information overload and with no experience on a nuclear power station, it can seem quite daunting. Once you come back after your 2 years in Portsmouth, it all becomes much clearer and easier to understand as your working around plant and helping out with other technicians. As time goes on you become to feel more confident in your role and carry out jobs without any issues.

Personally I have not been involved in any extra-curricular activities within the workplace other than the odd team day which has been arranged privately. During the first 2 years there are lots of sports and other activities which can be done but this is limited when back at your base power station depending on your location.

Yes

I feel that EDF are a very good company to work for. The staff are treated fairly and compensated generously. Its a secure job with achievable goals. Progression routes open frequently and are accessible to the right candidate if the work is put in beforehand. EDF will never stop you from progressing, they actually encourage it which is a major difference between them and other companies.

During the application process, try to keep a steady head on and answer any questions accordingly. The interview is not an interrogation and they just want to know more about you before investing time and money into you. The experience and opportunities are endless at EDF and its not a decision to be regretted.