Undergraduate Engineer - Perceived Quality Department Review

I really enjoyed my placement at JLR as I got to experience lots of different areas of the business and also got to meet and work with many experienced engineers. I had my own projects and tasks to complete and I could see the direct benefits my work was having on my department, team or project group.

I did not feel like an intern, I felt like any other member of the team. Everyone was very helpful and explained things that I did not know, but I did not feel swamped by my lack of technical knowledge. Praise for work I completed made me feel valued by my colleagues and I tried to help them out whenever I could.

My senior manager made sure I always had work to do or off-site/supplier visits to attend. Along with my manager, they kept me on track with clear tasks and deadlines to keep to. I was also given the chance to attend Six Sigma training and to receive tours of supplier plants to understand their processes and how it affects our work.

I was busy on the whole over the 11 weeks I was on placement but there were some slower days. Once I established relationships with more people in my department and got involved in their work too, I became busier. Towards the start of my placement I had some weeks where I didn't feel like I was doing much work of note. but this was down to the timing of projects ending and starting up in my department. With many people being out on holiday over the summer months, some weeks it is difficult to make progress without key people involved.

I felt like I had the right amount of responsibility on my placement. I felt the work I was doing was valued and essential but it was not stressful or difficult to complete on time. I enjoyed having to coordinate work on different projects at the same time and make sure I was doing what was required for each one. I had the freedom to set up my own meetings and contribute to those I was invited to.

The Six Sigma Yellowbelt training I received will benefit my greatly in a class I am taking this year at uni. I have also learnt good time management skills and how to communicate with others effectively, these skills will help me not only in my degree but also in my working life.

The general atmosphere was good, the hot desk system means you have the freedom to sit where you please but also still be near those in your team/department. The people on the whole are friendly and helpful and there is a generally relaxed atmosphere.

My placement was well organised. Even though one specific project was not outlined from the beginning, there was an effort made to make sure I was always busy and had clear objectives set for the short and long term. I was given a lot of opportunities to see other parts of the business and supply chain which was organised by my manager and team leaders. When reviewing my placement I had clear achievements and objectives which I discussed and I demonstrated the JLR key behaviours during these.

I attended a two day Six Sigma Yellowbelt training course along with other undergraduates and full time employees. I also attended an industrial weaving course. Even though I was only at JLR for 11 weeks this year, they never turned me down for something I thought would be useful and they made an effort to get me involved in as much training and learning opportunities as possible.

The future prospects for me here are very appealing. My next step will be the grad scheme and if that goes well, then a full time role. There is a competitive salary offered and some good perks. I have also been offered to return to the same department which is encouraging and will be easy to fit back in to, having already established good relationships.

Yes, all the 3 month placement students stayed in Coventry University accommodation and there was a deal with JLR which meant the rent was subsidised slightly. This made it easy to organise car sharing for the commute to work as well as social gatherings at evenings and weekends. It is also a great way to meet other like minded people and have friends at work to meet up with at lunchtime.

The cost of living was not too high. As Coventry has a large student population, there were plenty of deals and cheaper places to eat and drink. It is also easy to walk anywhere in Coventry from the student accommodation we lived in. The main costs I had were groceries and petrol money but again these were not higher than expected.

The place I worked was fairly remote and most people do not live in the same area. There is a small village but many choose to live away from Gaydon and commute. Where the 3 month placement students lived, in Coventry, has many pubs, bars and restaurants to go to.

No not really, some of the undergrads did community service with their departments but that was good fortune that they were there at the right time. One of the teams in my department had a social one night when a team member was leaving and that was good fun.