Undergraduate Engineer Review

I enjoyed my placement with Sisk very much. The team were very organised and very welcoming. It's definitely been an eye opening experience working on site for a year and I have learnt so many new things as well as reinforcing knowledge I already had. They also pay well, are very friendly and have other great benefits. The site was an excellent location and the social activities were great. For anyone who is looking to apply, this is a site based job so if you do not want to work in contracting, this might not be best job for you.

The team have been nothing but welcoming, friendly and encouraging during my placement. The project managers have been great in giving me opportunities to learn and improve my skills. I have felt very valued by my colleges, especially by my project director and line manager. I have made life long friendships here.

My managers have been very supportive during my placement. They always encouraged me to speak up, suggest new ideas, ask questions and get involved as much as possible. They have guided me by giving me experience in areas related to my degree but also encouraging me to expand my knowledge and skills in areas that I wasn't familiar with such as site management.

The amount of work I was given to do during my year placement was perfectly balanced. I had daily responsibilities, which were never the same on a day to day basis. I was also given work in other areas depending on what I wanted to learn/experience. There was never a dull moment, and I always felt like part of the team.

Starting out, I was eased into managing a small sub-contractor package which is something I had never done before. However with guidance from my line manger and senior engineer I did not experience much difficulty. I was also a fire marshall and a first aider after doing my training with Sisk, as well as assisting drawing up programmes, surveys and worked with other sub contractors on a daily basis.

The time I have spent on placement has definitely reinforced the knowledge I have from my degree. I have been able to see the real world application of some of the calculations and designs we do in the classroom. I've also developed my AutoCAD and BIM skills, and my interpersonal skills from working so closely with the sub-contractors.

Very fun by work focused at the same time. Everyone was approachable, we were all very comfortable with each other. There were many undergraduates and graduates close to my age on the project I was working on so I was able to socialise with them. The team was very positive and welcoming.

The team were very well set up before I came. HR were there to help me set up, as well as my line manager and senior engineer. I was introduced to the team, had my site induction and set up on the relevant programs on my first day. Anything that did need to be set up was simple and quick to do.

I completed quite a few training courses to develop my skills and learning including first aid, fire marshall and mental health first aid. I've also been to training sessions run by the sub-contractors. The company are always advertising training sessions and seminars that anyone can sign up to or join.

Very good. I have been able to progress my knowledge and skills well with the year. Those who perform well are likely to get offered a job on the graduate programme. It's very highly recommended by all the managers and it's definitely something I'd like to do after I graduate.

The social scene within the site team was great. We had frequent nights out at different locations to encourage team bonding and also to relax. At the beginning placement students are brought together for the induction but apart form that, not much was done with just the placement students. I spent a lot of time with the graduates on the excelerate scheme though.

I lived fairly close to site so travel costs were decent. Working in Wembley Park, there was lots to do socially. There are many restaurants and shops nearby, as well as the box park and pubs within walking distance of the site. The canteen was subsided so food was a good price and the station was withing walking distance of the site.

The nightlife in Wembley is decent. There are a few pubs in the area as well as the Box Park which opens to until late and normally has music and events going on regularly. The station has good links with central London whenever we had nights out in the city.

The team had a weekly football session in the local PowerLeague to help stay fit and encourage integration. The company also offers a great deal of volunteering and charity work, including the three peaks challenge, abseiling, cycling and many others. The London Designer Outlet is minutes away, which houses retail shops and restaurants.