Industrial Trainee Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the work I was doing in the Bristol water team. I was really well supported, and had opportunity to work in numerous different areas.

I was made to feel one of the team very early on.

I was assigned a mentor at the beginning of my placement which was very beneficial. Support and guidance could be sought from anyone in the team, particularly those I was working with for a particular project.

Due to the project based nature of the work I was undertaking, business varied depending upon how far the projects I was working on had progressed. Monthly team meetings were held to assess peoples work load, and I was expected to advise on whether I was light or too busy.

On one of my projects, due to one of my colleagues transferring to a different office, I was given sole responsibility to complete design of one element of that project. (During this time support and supervision were readily available)

The work I was undertaking is covered by only a small part of my degree, therefore the extent to which my placement will directly assist me in my studies is limited to that one area. However, during the year I have developed many "softer" skills such as communication, teamwork, organisation etc which will undoubtedly aid me in group projects undertaken in the remainder of my degree, as well as in my future career.

Very friendly atmosphere, easy to work in.

I was immediately involved in projects that were selected for providing a good introduction into the type of work undertaken by the water team. I was given relevant training relating to health and safety, and relevant software.

I benefited from a number of training courses run internally within Arup, including courses on GIS and hydraulic modelling.

I would immediately take another job with Arup, they are an amazing company to work for and there is a great atmosphere of people wanting to be the best in their field.

The water team was very sociable and held many team socials during the year including trips to the pub, comedy nights, and going to the theatre in the redcliffe caves.

Accommodation in Bristol is relatively expensive compared to other areas of the country, particularly near the city centre. The cost of socialising is broadly similar to other places I've lived (Bristol offers a variety of options), with the exception of alcohol which is generally more expensive.

Bristol has a good pub density near the city centre, and offers variety of different styles of pubs. I couldn't comment on any other nightlife, however given Bristol is a student city I would assume the nightlife is good.

There were a number of ICE (Institute of Civil Engineers) events held locally (many of which were held at Arup's Bristol office), these included talks, debates and tours (notably the Bristol Harbour boat trip). There were also multiple opportunities to get involved with competitions and organisations within the office, such as the office charity, and table tennis tournaments.