Mechanical/Electrical Apprentice Review

by Thames Water

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

7.5/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

I spend time across 4 pumping stations in West London. The vast majority of my time is spent with my mentor and other team members fault finding, repairing, servicing and inspecting a wide variety of electrical and mechanical equipment. This includes water pumps, control panels, lighting circuits/building services, sensors, cooling systems etc. I spend approximately 20% of my time studying towards my qualification and writing up evidence of my work/learning for my portfolio.

8/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

In my first 6 months I have learned a wide variety of technical, hands on skills and practices. The vastness and variety of systems available in Thames means that learning of new skills will always be a part of your job no matter the experience, which is a positive for anyone who is always looking to develop.

8/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I find the work very enjoyable as I always wanted to work in a hands on practical environment. As time has gone on through the apprenticeship I have been able to prove my ability and have been trusted with more responsibility which I enjoy.

9/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Support from my mentor, manager and team has been excellent throughout. The programme is not particularly structured and you will have to be able to take the initiative and ask around to get different types of experience and training. Staff across all departments are more than happy to help you find new work or experience.

7/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

Apprentices and staff are very well supported by management and the apprenticeship team.

9/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

The training provider have been largely disorganised and have very poor communication with apprentices. However, Thames Water have represented us well and I believe they have stuck up for us to try and improve the quality of the training being delivered.

4/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

The content in the training course helps to cement the concepts that you are learning about day to day at work. Not all of it is relevant but it helps make you a more rounded engineer by getting to see the bigger picture.

6/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Thames has a variety of social activities and events.

9/10

9a. Would you recommend Thames Water to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

The work is enjoyable and staff are friendly and keen to get the job done. Monday morning isn't a struggle at all!

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Thames Water?

Look up 'the big picture' on Thames Water's website and think about how they relate to you as a potential employee. If you enjoy hands on practical work then make sure they know that and give lots of examples of little projects you have done in your spare time. If you have questions in your interview don't be afraid to ask.