Field Engineer Copper Review

My role includes New line provides, fault finding on an existing installation and making damage safe, I achieve this b=y access the telephone network at various points, these start at the telephone Exchanges, the primary cross connection point (PCP's) distribution point, (DP's) and end customer premises, which could include commercial and domestic.

During my first year with Openreach, I have been trained to work within the network safely, I have undergone a period of shadowing and buddying, which covered a weeks training while working on PCP's and three weeks buddying while completing new line provide installs and finding and rectifying fault on an existing line. These developed skills are used on a daily basis.

At the start of my development program, we were given very little support, we were sent home due to the pandemic and told to complete as much of the learners program as we could, not knowing whether it was right or wrong, I did not enjoy this period at all, it was only when I was transferred to another assessor that the learner program because understandable and dare I say slightly enjoyable.

My program was an absolute shambles to start with, I accept that the global Pandemic may have had a say in that, but i felt as though my program was not well structures and or supported in the early days, it was only when I was transferred to a new assessor that the program structure became evide3nt, with targets and key points to be achieve by a given date, timeframe, which is what was needed.

My employer programed in a number of days where I was detached from the work rota, this enable me to attend online sessions with my assessor, which enabled me to complete the necessary material for the qualification, with these day off of the work rota, I do feel as though this process would have taken a lot l;onger.

As I have previously mentioned, in the early days of this program I felt as though there was very little support from my assessor, it was only when I was transferred to another assessor that I felt supported, contact increased, feedback increased and the submitted material assessment process took place, which if required to do so, amendment were made and re-submitted.

although this is a nationally recognised qualification, I for one, have never in the passed driven by an telephone engineer and though to myself, I wonder how well qualified they are, saying that, I do feel that this qualification is a base line qualification, where it has evolved from completing works, I feel as though. Working in the network has fed the qualification and not the Qualification has fed better working.

I am unaware of any extra-curricular activities that can be attended within the area team, saying that there is a workplace chat group, provided by Facebook, which allows for end to end messaging to gain advise, help and assistance if required, because of the nature of the working area, I don't feel as though many of the team, share evenings out, whether this will re-start after June 21st needs to be seen.

No

You will start of with a course that gives you the basics, after that you are given a period of buddying and told if you need help it will be available, in reality, you will complete a course, which covers all topics, it won't dwell on topics because there is so much to get into a short timeframe, so you'll have to gain the knowledge, once you are working in the network, your buddying wont cover every eventuality, and then all of a sudden you are on your own, to me, this screams bums on seats, engineers on the ground, "don't worry about them, its a numbers game", I strongly suggest that the buddying should be as long as the apprenticeship.

if you are really thinking about applying to BT, then you need to understand that your first year will be the hardest year, hopefully, within the company, at times you will feel as though you want to quit, but stick it out, try and learn what you can and if you are struggling at any time talk to someone who you feel will listen. this feeling of impending doom will pass.