Engineering Student Review

The placement varied a lot in terms of enjoyment throughout my year. There were times where I loved the placement because I had responsibilities and was working with a lot of co-workers that I got on with well. However, there were also times where the only tasks I were given were small tasks that were not satisfying to complete.

Although I got along with my colleagues very well, I would not class myself as being very valued as a worker, with exception of my Supervisor who would try and get me involved in more substantial tasks or to shadow him to get a greater understanding of his role which was something I valued.

My supervisor was always available to help me if I needed and assistance. He was very knowledgable in all aspects of his job role, and with me working for him he knew everything that I needed to know to do my job. There is also a very large learning platform that is available to use at all times on the portal. This learning platform was the standout part of this company in my opinion.

My working days varied a lot, there were often times where I had not a lot to do but also notable occasions where I had to put in a lot of extra hours to ensure my tasks are complete. This is to be expected given the transition from programme launch to a fully running project.

The overall responsibility I was given was very low. The main exception to that was a weekly meeting that I would run, however after a while this became simply a montonous part of my Monday morning routine. A lot of the work I was given felt relatively inconsequential and the effect of completing the task showed no real difference to the factory.

I have developed a lot of soft skills, and have greatly increased my proficiency in microsoft excel during my placement. However, in terms of engineering knowledge, there has been no gain. There was not even access to any 3D CAD programme in the whole plant. I have learnt a lot about lean manufacturing throughout this year, however that is not relevant to my course.

The atmosphere in the office was unique. There were many departments within each office so it was never silent in the office. However, some departments would talk about work related matters a lot less than others. There was quite often office politics both between departments and within departments which didn't always aid the atmosphere. However, overall the atmosphere was good.

The start of placement was very well organised, with all placement students meeting in Lemington Spa for an introduction event hosted by HR. There was also a compulsory shop floor experience set up for all workers when they start their job which is a good idea. However after this everyone was left on their own devices. There is a Faurecia review system where the student should be reviewed by the managers every 3 months. However it was clear that this was not pushed by HR as some students went there whole year without a review.

I was able to recieve some training throughout my year. This was partially due to the learning lab which is on the Faurecia Portal, where there is a lot of training on offer, however a lot of these are very basic and do not go into great depth. I was also able to attend a couple of workshops where I learned about waste reduction within processes.

Whilst I would not consider going back into a job in the same plant in the same kind of job. Faurecia offers a VIE program where you can work in a different country for up to 2 years. I would consider undergoing a VIE with faurecia if there is one in an area that suits me. However, I would not consider a career in the plant I was working in.

Due to being a plant which has such a high number of placement students in such a small plant, the social scene among the students was relatively good. However, there was a lack of events taking place outside of work, and instead we would just eat lunch together and socialise.

The nearest places to live from work are Fradley and Lichfield. These are very expensive to find a place to rent in. It is cheaper to live further out and commute to work, which is what I did for the latter half of the year. If you find the right area, it can be very cheap, however it was a 20 - 25 min commute to work.

Lichfield is nearby, which has a lot of pubs and bars, however there are not any clubs. If you want to go clubbing you need to travel into Birmingham which is an approximately 40 minute drive from work. You can go for a night out in Burton-Upon-Trent, but it is not an enjoyable experience.

The workplace itself organised no activities outside of work. The only exception was when my department would go out for a meal which happened on 5 occasions. These events were enjoyable though and its nice to have a meal paid for. The occasions for the work meals include a Christmas meal for my department and for my project, a meal after completing a week long workshop, and when key people were leaving the department.