Nuclear Safety Engineer Industrial Student Review

I've absolutely loved the last 9 months of my placement and will be sad to leave at the end of August. I've been given complex tasks that hold a great deal of responsibility and contribute massively to the day-to-day running of the power station. Hopefully I'll be successful in my Graduate and Sponsorship applications and will be able to return to the station once I've finished my degree.

As soon as I started I was immediately integrated into the weekly routine tasks rota which really helped me to find my footing within the department. As my confidence and skill have developed over the placement, I've found I've been allocated more tasks which have allowed other members of the team to focus on other areas of work. It's because of this workload that I feel most valued by my colleagues as I know I am making their day-to-day jobs slightly easier.

My peers have been exceptional in guiding me through tasks and explaining any unfamiliarity. Particularly at the start of the placement I was directed towards graduate notes and presentations that I could work through in spare time to improve my knowledge which was particularly useful. My supervisor was also great for signing off on my portfolio but also providing me with feedback.

At the start of the placement I was less busy due to needing to be mentored through tasks which required others in the office not to be busy. However as I've gained more experience these tasks I can now confidently complete independently allow me to take on a larger work load. I've also ensured to get involved on any other interesting tasks around the site to improve my softer skills such as assisting site tours and school visits.

My department has a massive responsibility on the station which in turn meant that a lot of the tasks I completed were too. We coordinate a lot with the Central Control Room who in essence run the station, and issue necessary changes which I've been able to do on several occasions throughout the year.

The placement has been invaluable and the skills and experience I've been able to obtain are massively going to support my final year at university. Although I've not particularly used any of the knowledge I've learnt during my Maths degree, the general work-based skills such as time management, communication and formal writing will put me in the best stead to achieve the level of degree I'm hoping for.

It was always friendly and everyone is very easy to approach and talk to, about both work and personal life. The general atmosphere is quite quiet however this is mostly due to the nature of the work and people needing to focus. Everyone gets along very well though and it feels comfortable and welcoming.

Along with my university portfolio, at the start of my placement I sat down with my supervisor to write an initial work plan which demonstrated how well organised the placement was, as did my inclusion in the routines rota. Because I was on site for the summer in a different department prior to this placement starting, I was able to communicate with the department before arriving to line up any useful training.

There were no barriers when it came to training - if there was something I thought would be beneficial I was supported to attend. There was also the opportunity to go the head office in Barnwood for an Early Careers Event which my line manager paid for which included both travel and accommodation.

I 100% want to come back to work for EDF Energy. I've found the industry that is well suited to my career aspirations and I know they'll be able to support and challenge me to progress to the level I am capable of. The Early Careers team have already been in touch regarding an upcoming sponsorship interview which will allow me to receive financial support in my final year of study which is another great incentive.

Once we were all introduced to one another we met weekly over lunch to chat about what we'd been up to. We also tried to organize several social events out of work such as meals out/ pub quizzes etc.. All in all there was a good network of IP's on site who were able to contact each other for support when needed.

I was lucky enough that I could live with my parents throughout my placement without having to pay rent. However being from the area, Hartlepool is an extremely cheap place to live and socialise and which neighbouring student cities of Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Durham there are plenty of good days out that are easy to get to.

Hartlepool itself is quite limited however there are some nice bars on the Marina and a few "clubs" and pubs in the town centre that can provide a relatively good night out - dependent on what you like, I personally love a good cheesy pop night out! As mentioned above the neighbouring student cities provide a more diverse, potentially "higher class" night out.

I was able to get involved in the STEM Ambassador programme which although was supported by EDF, is a standalone activity that I will be able to pursue even after I've left. There are plenty of things to get involved in in the local area such as Park Runs etc.