Emissions & Test Technology Engineer Review

I really enjoyed this placement as I was given real work from the start, and had colleagues who were willing to support not only with work but with personal development.

My colleagues were all very easy to get along with, and were very happy to help where necessary.

There was lots of support from both my manager and supervisors, with regular 1 to 1 meetings, and supporting various issues where necessary.

Project work - therefore some days were much more busier than others. Whilst it was expected from the start of the placement, there were times where there was not enough work throughout the day to keep me busy.

Given real projects with benefit to the company/department which were also left for me to own and manage for myself.

Learnt a lot about real world applications of many university taught theories. There were many different training opportunities for personal development. The thought processes developed through work and training will have a positive impact in my studies for my final year, particularly for project work and planning.

The atmosphere in the department was always fairly relaxed but not too relaxed to affect work. My colleagues were very friendly, but also knew when it was time to get work done quietly, so there was a good balance.

The placement was well organised. The work requirements were explained well from the start. The setup early on in the placement during the handover period could've been organised better, just so that the new student had a better idea of what to do once the previous student left, as a lot of focus is put on just the handover projects.

There were always training opportunities available, some compulsory, others optional, giving you chance to develop and understand new skills or theory. The IMechE mentor scheme was also very useful for tracking personal development in order to become a chartered engineer in the future.

There are opportunities for employment in the future with the company, particularly for placement students, but it is dependent on role availability and obviously performance during the placement. There is regular feedback from management regarding progression, which is helpful to know what aspects of the job you need to work on.

There was a very good social scene particularly between placement students, as there were a large group of students to socialise with. There were also occasions where colleagues would get together socially within departments.

Cost of living is relatively cheap depending on where you decide to live, and generally any other costs for socialising were cheap and affordable.

In the immediate town, there is little nightlife, but in some of the surrounding areas there were lots of places to go out. There's lots of very nice pubs and bars, and a few half decent clubs.

There was a social committee which regularly offered opportunities to get involved outside of work, whether that sports or just going to events in cities across the country.