Nuclear Science and Engineering Industrial Placement Review

Overall the placement was a really good experience and I would recommend this position to anyone looking for a laboratory based role. I enjoyed my placement because each day was different and I had the opportunity to experience different areas of the plant that I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to see. I was also given the opportunity to gain in depth knowledge of different systems on site.

I personally felt values by many of my colleagues, I was welcomed into the team well and given similar responsibilities as the rest of the team. Throughout my placement I was supported by the majority of my colleagues and given guidance when I asked for it. By the end of my placement I felt like I was valued as I had been thanked for my contributions over the time I was there.

My supervisor gave me a lot of support during my placement, especially at the beginning when all of the processes were new. Even as I progressed through my placement and got to grasp with how things were done and my role, my supervisor was still available to give me guidance. We had weekly meetings to discuss my progress and my supervisor was flexible with this so I could fit it around my work. I was comfortable around my supervisor and knew I could approach them when I had any issues and I knew that these would be listened to and resolved.

For the majority of the time I had plenty of work to be getting on with. Once I had been given training on various instruments and for various techniques I was able to carry out a range of tasks unsupervised. This meant that I was given the same responsibility as the rest of the team and had to complete the tasks given to me in a timely and efficient manner. However I wasn't abandoned in this sense, I was always given support and guidance should I have required it.

For the basic tasks I was trained in, I was given as much responsibility as anyone else. This involved sampling, carrying out the task/analysis and recording the data where required. For many of the in laboratory analyses work was given out individually but there was always other people around to answer questions if I had them. On the other hand some analysis carried out on plant was done in pairs and therefore responsibility was split across both people. The responsibility I was given throughout my time was sufficient for my training and position. It was good to have some responsibility and feel like a member of the team.

The skills I have developed whilst on placement will be invaluable for me in the future. During my time I was able to lead a project which should hopefully be implemented in the future, this has helped my going into my final year research project. Furthermore I have developed my basic laboratory skills further, developed communication skills within the team, organisational skills from balancing the work load and university work. I have also had to present my findings from my project and work both within a team and on my own. These will all be of use to my in my degree and in the future.

The atmosphere in the office was mainly positive and it was obvious that the different work groups did get on. There were lots of discussions both about work and socially which made it easier to relax and feel more comfortable working there. In the laboratory the atmosphere could vary. Most of the time there was a positive vibe but there were times that stressed could build up and there would be elements of tension, this was relatively infrequent as is expected with the amount of work to be completed.

From the HR side, initially the organisation of the placement and finding out information was tricky. However once I was in contact with my supervisor the whole process was made a lot easier. My supervisor was very good at organising the initial training, ordering personal protective equipment and helping me to settle in. Throughout the remainder of the placement the structure could be more defined to ensure that I could experience even more of the plant.

I had a lot of opportunities to progress my training and learning within the company. Initially I had to carry out the basic and required training but in addition to this I had the opportunity to learn about the station as a whole. This gave me the chance to understand how the station worked, I then had the opportunity to build upon this knowledge and gain a deeper insight into the processes carried out. there was also regular "continuous" training which essentially refreshed some more basic concepts, but for me it was good to learn as much as I could.

With the new build project going ahead it will create many more job opportunities. There is also the opportunity of applying for the graduate scheme which would involve 16 months of training and several secondments within the company with the aim of transitioning to a permanent job at the end. The job prospects are appealing.

At the station I was working at there was only one other industrial placement student, however there are many other graduates/colleagues who are also working for the company and with contractor companies. This enabled a good social scene both in work and out of work. There are a lot of industrial placement students working at different stations and offices within the company. When there were company events, there was a good opportunity to meet these other students.

I worked in Suffolk and quite a few of the surrounding towns were frequented by people who had second homes. Because of this the price of living is sightly higher than expected but it isn't terrible. It isn't particularly expensive to socialise but it is cheaper than at home. The wage from working was sufficient to cover these costs.

As I lived in a very small town, there wasn't a lot going on in the evenings. There are quite a few pubs and a few takeaways but for proper nightlife then some of the bigger towns and cities are better. It can be quite a travel to get to some of these places but well worth the trip.

There weren't a lot of opportunities to get involved with out of work activities. There are several volunteering opportunities, such as becoming a STEM ambassador but I only found out about this towards the end of my placement where there wasn't the time to complete the background checks and start.