Social Business Support Student Review

My work placement year at Toyota GB Plc has been a great experience. I have been involved in many experiences and projects which has shown me real insight into the company and all departments within the company. Each day there was something new to get involved in and stuck into. You are provided with real responsibility and able to work flexibly to suit your needs.

Within my department I felt very valued by my employees. Everyone is treated equally and you are seen as a valuable source of knowledge and expertise within the department, provide great respect. Throughout the whole of Toyota GB Plc everyone looks out for each other and there is a real sense of feeling welcomed each day.

The management within my department was fantastic and I was provided with lots of guidance throughout my placement year. Training was provided to suit my needs and each of my managers was always open to suggestions and understanding if I asked for help. Each day the management within Toyota GB Plc looked after their team extremely well and I was always considered for exciting trip out of the office and new projects.

On a day to day basis I was kept busy with a steady work load which was great. My steady work load made it easy for me to complete in a day and not stay out of work hours. Each project I was given was different with enabled me to develop different skills and attributes for these projects.

During my placement year at Toyota GB Plc I received a lot of real responsibility enabling me to get involved with different departments and learn different people around the business. Some projects I was able to learn how to project manage, which I will take back and use at university and during my professional career.

The skills I developed and training I received will assist me during my degree and belong very well. I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation training course this year which was very insightful and interesting. From this I learnt lots and will take back to university to use in my group projects and presentations.

The general atmosphere in the office was very positive and cheery. Everyone within the office enjoyed their job and this really shone through creating a positive and fun working environment. In the department everyone was also happy to help with any queries I received or any difficulties I encountered which was excellent having this kind of support.

The work placement was well set up and very structured. This was beneficial as we were able to attend many training sessions, company inductions and visits around to different sites of the business providing us with real insight into the business beyond Toyota GB Plc. The structure of training sessions stayed throughout the whole year and each month there were training sessions we were able to attend providing us with the materials to develop new skills.

Toyota GB Plc really invested in my personal development and training. There were courses I was able to pick and choose from. This was really great being offered the choice of what I thought would benefit me while on my work placement year. Each month there were regular catch up and training sessions with all the other students so we could all learnt and develop together as a team.

There is the opportunity to advance to the graduate scheme at Toyota GB Plc. The only way to get onto this scheme is through the placement year at Toyota GB Plc. You complete a presentation and an assessment centre towards the end of your placement year to give you the chance of gaining the graduate role within Toyota GB Plc.

Yes. There was a good social scheme we all sat with each other a lunch time catching up on each other’s days and weekends. There are many events organised by Toyota GB Plc to socialise with colleagues outside of work. One of these schemes is the sports and social club where there were discounted event nights to attend and discounted tickets to many different events.

The cost of living in the area was pretty standard price. I paid £500 per month to live in the centre of Epsom which gave me a 5 minute commute to work by car. The cost of socialising in the area was average prices too with a dinner costing £15-£20 and drinks at £5 for a glass of wine. The great thing about living in Epsom was the half an hour commute to central London, where you could go out after work and socialise. Another benefit is that a student travel card for London is only £8.45.

The nightlife in Epsom is pretty non-existent, however saying this London was half an hour on the train therefore easily accessible for drink after work or to go out on the weekend. There are also late trains back to Epsom after drinks in London and surrounding areas. However, Epsom has some lovely Pub and great restaurants in the area.

There were many activities offered to get involved with activities outside of work. Toyota GB Plc run a sports an social club which offered discounted gym membership to the onsite gym, discounted pub quiz nights and comedy nights and discounted tickets to events such as, the races and plays at the theatre.