Manufacturing Engineer Review

The placement was very valuable, I was able to take a lot of ownership over my work and deliver something which really made an impact. I definitely looked forward to going to work, every day there were always new things that I could learn and it was overall a great experience.

I felt like I was really able to make an input within the team and I think that I would genuinely be missed by the team following my departure. During team meetings I was able to make valued inputs to discussions which was really important for my development and to feel like part of the team.

My manager provided me support whenever it was needed, however I was also given a lot of independence which allowed me to manage my own time. This support was echoed by the whole team who were always willing to help with any issues or questions which I had. At regular meetings the team were able to assist with my projects and provide guidance.

This varied on a day-to-day basis but there was always something to be done. If I didn't have a particular task I could attend meetings or shadow other employees to gain a greater appreciation of the company out with my prescribed role. At the end of my placement it was definitely much busier which was good as I felt like a had a real purpose and place in the company.

Given that my internship was only 10 weeks I was given a great amount of responsibility. I was given an important project to do which could really make a difference within the company and I was able to self manage the project. This enabled me to feel like I had a real purpose and that I was a trusted member of the workforce.

The placement was mutually beneficial, I could utilise skills from university in my role but I could also learn new skills from my team. The was enhanced through yellow belt and kaizen facilitator training where a lot of the tools will be able to be used in a slightly different context but will still make an impact in university as I'll be using alternative methods.

The office was a happy place to work, it was a productive atmosphere where a lot of people were focused on their work. Despite this it was never intimidating to approach other employees as everyone always seemed willing to help. There were always people walking around which made it feel like there was a lot going on.

The placement content was quite well planned, on my first day there was a fairly clear picture of the work that I was going to be completing. This was good but I know that some people had a few weeks before they could get stuck into some productive work. I think in the run up to the placement we were well informed about necessary information too.

The company were definitely willing to invest. I completed yellow belt training and was subsequently able to achieve yellow belt accreditation. Additionally, I was able to attend Kaizen facilitator training which I think was quite an expensive course by my department were happy to invest. This gave me an opportunity which I think a lot of other interns generally would not get.

I think future employment would provide some really good opportunities from development. I heard really good reports from the graduates which I spoke to. I think there is a good opportunity to gain a wide experience in the company. Additionally there is a great focus on training which may be more so than other companies.

There were around 100 interns in Derby with the vast majority of us staying in university halls. Because of this it wasn't intimidating to move to Derby because I knew there were so many people in the same boat. We generally did something every couple of nights, including come dine with me and climbing.

As we were staying in halls they were quite expensive and also not that nice... but they were ok. The cost of socialising was pretty average, the same as in most cities. It was a shame though that the rent took quite a chunk out of our monthly pay. The accommodation that Rolls-Royce recommended thus could probably be improved!

We were able to do activities in the evening but this was not really night life. I did not find Derby the nicest city and there were not very many good clubs. Despite this there were quite a few bars which provided good opportunity to go out and chat. These were generally quiet during the week though so there was not much atmosphere.

With the other interns there were plenty of opportunities. These were all organised by ourselves though. There were not any opportunities to socialise with my team which might have been quite nice to build up a relationship with them outside of work. Despite this there was always plenty going on with the other interns to keep me busy.