Safety Performance and Improvement Review

The role is not one that I am interesting in pursuing long term, but the year was incredibly valuable and I felt like an important part of my team and very involved in the company. I think NATS is a great provider for work placements.

I felt very valued throughout my placement - the work I was producing was important and used throughout the company. My team would ask me to complete tasks because they knew I was capable. I got along with everyone in my team and felt like I could turn to them with my problems and ask for their help.

My line manager was very supportive. We would have one-to-one meetings every month to discuss my progress and make a plan, where I could bring up any issues. She was very easy to talk to and concerned for me.

At the beginning, I did find myself to be lacking in work once I had completed the basics of my role. However after a few months in I had plenty of side projects to work on and got involved in other areas which kept me busy throughout.

I had to complete many reports and projects which were used in various areas of the business, and even sent to external customers. I felt like I was given the right amount of responsibility to allow me to grow, without scaring me!

Whilst the year was not relevant to my specific degree, the skills such as time management, confidence, communication, professionalism will be very helpful in my degree and in future careers, as well as technical skills like using bespoke tools and Microsoft office skills.

The majority of staff were a fair bit older than me and generally the office was quiet, but everyone was friendly and the atmosphere was productive.

Other placement schemes within the business were set up a lot better in terms of induction and getting to know other placement students. I felt a bit distant from the rest of the people in my situation and felt like everyone else knew each other until about half way through the year. I think the process could be a bit more united throughout the company and this would allow students to know what goes on in the business as a whole.

I did not have many opportunities for personal training and development, although the online learning resource has many courses for you to complete should you wish.

In my specific department there aren't any roles available, however I know in other departments there are roles for graduates. I do not wish to join NATS in future because it is not the kind of field I'm interested in, but the opportunities are good.

I lived with a few other placement students, and some others lived in the same area as us so the social scene outside of work was good (I'm not a hugely social person though, so other people might've found this to be less good).

Coming from Cardiff to Southampton means rent was a lot more than what I'm used to (in Southampton it was £399 a month for a 4 person house) but my house was really nice - definitely not a typical student house - and in a good area. Socialising was also more expensive but still reasonable, a double vodka and coke was around £5. It depends where you're from originally as to whether you find it expensive.

Where I work, there is absolutely nothing. Where I live (about 25-30 min drive from work) the nightlife is great. Plenty of clubs/pubs/restaurants/things to do.

Whilst I know there were some opportunities, there weren't that many that I was explicitly advertised, nor did I take part in any.