Engineering and Maintenance Student Review

I have enjoyed my time at Faurecia. There have been many satisfying opportunities for extra work and development. One of the main things I enjoyed the most whilst on placement was the level of autonomy that I was expected to work at, and indeed did work at. Being allowed to make my own decisions and choose my own way of doing tasks was highly beneficial to both my levels of skill and confidence.

The engineering office I worked in was very very friendly and welcoming. I am very fortunate to work alongside these people and they make coming to work a pleasure rather than a slog. Once my placement is over I will miss them sorely, as they have made me feel valued as a member of their team.

During any task, there was always support on hand from any of my colleagues, supervisor or my manager. The support given was always good, but it was common practice to coax me into solving the problem myself with their guidance, rather than just telling me the answer. This provided me with more opportunities to learn.

As a maintenance student, my daily routine consisted of planning the preventative maintenance of the plants assets and coordinating this. This keeps me busy over the course of the day. I have other duties as well which also keep me busy. The work balance is good, but there have been periods of high work loads and high stress, such as audits.

One of the main things I enjoyed the most whilst on placement was the level of autonomy that I was expected to work at, and indeed did work at. Being allowed to make my own decisions and choose my own way of doing tasks was highly beneficial to both my levels of skill and confidence.

Those of us in the engineering office are very fortunate to have access to three 3D printers, which are primarily used to prototype (and in some cases to fully manufacture) parts for machines on the shop floor. As an engineering student, I have been taught design skills at university in my 1st and 2nd year, and I have been able to put them to good use this year. By taking basic designs of components and parts, I am able to use my design and SolidWorks skills to fully 3D model them, and then realise the design by prototyping it on the 3D printer.

working in the engineering office at Fradley FIS has been one of the most rewarding experiences and working environments that I’ve ever worked in. My colleagues are enthusiastic, supporting and generally very nice individuals. I have certainly developed friendships here, which have contributed to my overall placement satisfaction. I have even completed a 10-kilometre W.O.L.F Run with the engineering team, which one was one of the most funny and muddy experiences of placement.

The placement has been very well organised as you'd expect from a company as big as Faurecia. The process from assessment center to interview to receiving the job was very smooth and relaxing with very little stress involved on my part. The induction process was also smooth and enjoyable, with plenty of opportunities to meet and greet my colleagues.

Working at Faurecia has provided me with numerous business experience and a large amount of valuable business experience. One area of my skill base that has drastically improved whilst on placement, are my organisation skills. I’ve never been in a job before where the workload has been so heavy. To overcome this, I have had to become highly organised in order to effectively manage my time whilst at work, and hence increase my personal productive efficiency. I have also begun to develop my managerial skills whilst on placement. There have been several instances where I have had to make key decisions, especially during the PMM project.

Due to my fascination with design, it is likely I will pursue this as a career. In terms of Faurecia, I am very interested in Faurecia’s Voluntary International Employment Scheme. The prospect of working abroad is very alluring, as it would provide me with experiences that you cannot gain in the UK and would allow me to experience and learn about different cultures.

It was decisively average. I spent most of my time away at the weekends anyway. But I do live with two students who work at Faurecia and I have grown very close to them. We often socialize both at work and at home, but I spend most of my lunch times at work, working.

Cheap. The area around Burton Upon Trent is cheap if you're clever. It's easy to waste money but so easy to save if you're savvy. At time of writing, my rent and bills per month are a combined total of less than £250 per month. However the closer you get to Lichfield, the more expensive it gets.

It was ok?... It's nothing compare to Sheffield. Which is why I spent most of my time travelling back their at the weekends. There are a few bars in Burton Upon Trent but nothing to shout about. Lichfield is ok, but very expensive. As a student, I'm allergic to high prices, so I preferred to wait and go out in Sheffield on student nights.

Yes there were, one student ran an after-work football club. I didn't attend as I don't like football, but there was also an after work run club. As well as this, my office took part in a wolf run which was one of the funnest and muddiest things I think I've ever done.