Assembly Engineering Industrial Placement Student Review

The placement has been working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, getting involved in a number of interesting projects as well as responsive tasks to support others. Working in the Assembly Engineering division, I have been given responsibility far greater than I expected to receive as a placement student - working on high-cost, time-critical projects which have given me an invaluable experience into engineering in the workplace.

The placement has been a fantastic opportunity to improve my communication and presentation skills. There is a strong requirement to work with people from across the company in different departments, and I was given the opportunity to present to senior management across the company. As well as building other professional skills such as organisation and planning, the placement helped me to improve my technical engineering skills - especially in design and manufacture.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working at Toyota UK. There is a great, positive work environment at the company and everyone you meet is friendly and helpful. The projects I got to work on were very interesting and offered a wide range of activity so every day was different and offered new opportunities and experiences.

The industrial placements at Toyota UK are very well structured and organised from day one. The first week is an induction week to meet your fellow placement students and grads and get settled into the company. The first day in my department I was told what my main projects would be and there was no confusion or wasted time starting. There are also a number of training and development courses held through the year to help develop your personal and professional skills.

The company culture at Toyota UK is very welcoming and it is a fantastic workplace. I have absolutely no doubt that working at Toyota UK full time would be any different. Everyone is very supportive and helpful and easy to speak to - even up to senior and general management level.

The work experience has given me an insight into manufacturing and engineering which I never had before. From my experience with Toyota UK, I could now confidently say that I would like to pursue a career in engineering. However, as a first job in this industry, it is difficult to know whether all manufacturing/engineering companies are similar.

The placements at Toyota UK are paid full-time, and the salary is very competitive for an industrial placement role. Company expenses are also reimbursed. If visiting a supplier, petrol and food costs are reimbursed in full. If eating out with work, this is also paid for by the company. (If Covid-19 permits)

Yes. Work at Toyota UK in engineering requires cross - department communication so there is an excellent opportunity to meet with employees across the company. As a placement student, there are also networking opportunities amongst the other placement students and grads. However, due to Covid-19, this was more limited for my experience.

Yes

Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK has a great work environment and the people who work there are helpful, friendly and supportive. The company invests in it's employees and provides numerous opportunities to develop and grow in both a personal and professional capacity. I have really enjoyed my short time with Toyota.

Applications to the graduate and industrial placement schemes at Toyota are very competitive so it is important that you make yourself stand out. Do your research on the company beforehand and make sure you have plenty of experiences to talk about if you get to the Assessment Centre or Interview stages. Above all, be enthusiastic and eager to get stuck in.