multiskilled engineer Review

I am an engineering apprentice in Unilever Port sunlight factory No.3, my job role involves learning electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical skills and eventually more automation skill. I am tasked with performing routine maintenance on machines, learning closely from the more experienced engineers, along side this i am currently doing my level 3 NVQ.

The skills i have learnt during my apprenticeship so far include; bench working skills, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic, I have also learnt how to perform PUWER assessments and how to work safely with machinery. Through working with a variety of people with different backgrounds i have developed team working skills.

I enjoy this program as i have worked with many different people from a variety of backgrounds and have learnt skills i never thought id be able to do. Working here has built up my character and confidence and i know if i can continue to do well then i will have a job for life.

Since i have been apart of this apprenticeship scheme it has changed, originally we were doing a 3 year apprenticeship and then a further two year for HNC. Now the course has become 6 years meaning that i will have completed two 3 year apprenticeships. I believe the restructuring will benefit us in the long run and further improve our skills.

My employer is very supportive and when i need assistance with my apprenticeship or help with anything at all then i could rely on my employer to help me to the extent of their ability. However it is sometimes hard to communicate with the correct people, due to the vast chain of command as the company is global.

When we were in college the support we were provided with was great and we all passed our BTEC level 3, however the support we received during the pandemic wasn't as much as it was hard to communicate due to remote learning. Currently i have a monthly call with a college assessor.

I believe that most of my learning comes from on the job experience, it is all good and well learning the theory, but putting something into practice that you have only ever seen on a computer screen is quite difficult. Some aspects of the qualification have benefited me personally, this was mainly when we did practical college work.

There are extra-curricular activities within my work, these include apprentice connect events, were apprentices will work on a project together. There are many means of contact between apprentices, the best of which was when we all met in Unilever's leatherhead site. Due to the amount of work i have to do for my apprenticeship and general day to day duties, personally i am too busy to focus on an extra curricular project.

Yes

Unilever is a global company and world renowned. The company has been established for over 100 years and is very unlikely to decline, in my opinion. If you get a job hear it is well known that you can consider yourself as having a job for life. Within the company there is room to grow, expand your abilities and you can always keep climbing the ladder into better job roles.

When applying for Unilever you should do research on the brand and the history of the company to understand how huge the business actually is and the vast amount of history behind it. Be prepared to be placed outside of your comfort zone, this isn't a bad thing as it only builds character.