Engineering Technician Review

My role is as a maintenance technician which involves going out to fix machines on site when they break and also doing preventative maintenance to help stop machines from breaking down. I also do a lot of shadowing of senior technicians which helps me to learn new techniques and skills.

During my apprenticeship, I have learnt many new skills from attending training courses as well as from shadowing other technicians. This has helped me to learn the correct ways to do maintenance on certain machines as well as helped with my ability to diagnose problems. I have also been attending collage during the week which allows me to learn more during the units I complete there.

I really enjoy my apprenticeship as it involved doing a lot of engineering work and technical maintenance which are things I have always been interested in. I get to meet a lot of people who are interested in the same things I am and we have a lot to talk about. The work environment as a maintenance technician is usually relatively chilled while also still offering a challenge as senior technicians and your manager will often set you tasks that test your understanding and help you to expand your knowledge of the area. Working at AZ also comes with many benefits that are both financial and personal which also help make the job more enjoyable.

The apprenticeship programme is very well structured and is set out in a way that allows you to fully explore all of your options as a maintenance engineer before finding where you would like to work. When joining the apprenticeship, there is a week long induction period which involves enjoyable activities that help with getting to know the other apprentices as well as getting to know AZ and what you job will entail. After this, technician apprentices are on a set rota that rotates them around each area on the AZ site and allows them to experience what every area has to offer and lets you get to know the team that works there. In the final year there is then a final placement in the area you want to work in before getting offered a full job.

I receive a great amount of support from both the apprenticeship team and my manager during my apprenticeship. Each apprentice is assigned to a manager that works in that area that you will be under for the duration of the entire apprenticeship. My manager has been extremely helpful with both answering any questions I have about work, as well as helping with any collage work I received for my training. The managers always have it in their best interest to help you get the maximum out of your apprenticeship, so they will always be showing you good opportunities giving you ideas of areas you can improve in and learn more. My manager is also very understanding when it comes to any issues I have with collage assignments clashing with work or any other issues, and never restricts me from having time off if I need it.

I receive a lot of support from my training provider on both issues with collage work and problems I may have at work. My collage tutor is very knowledgeable and always helps us through our assignments. He is also very committed, often coming into collage during holidays to give us extra classes and always replying to emails, even out of collage hours.

I have definitely applied a lot of the knowledge that I have gained in collage to my day to day work. During our time at collage I have completed units in maths and physics that have helped me with understanding parts of my job better. I have also completed a unit in managing a project which involves a presentation. This has allowed me to become more confident and has improved any work involving presentations I have had to do at AZ.

There are loads of extra-curricular activities at AZ including things such as a football team and lots of volunteering options. There is also an application called workplace where employees can find other people interested in the same things they are and they can also share posts together and organise events. On top of all this, there is a whole host of apprenticeship events that are open to both new and old apprentices and can be anything from going out for meals and drinks, to group volunteering projects.

Yes

AstraZeneca is an amazing place to have an apprenticeship because of the great people you get to work with and the amazing opportunities you are given to improve yourself and further your education and knowledge. This is definitely a place to consider if you do not want an environment that is stressful and instead want to work in a place that wants you to improve and will give you every opportunity they can.

My advice would be to make sure you are being as enthusiastic as possible and make sure to read up on the company s six commitments before going for an interview. Make sure you are knowledgeable in the area you are applying for and ensure you come across as confident and upstanding.