HSE Placement Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year with Faurecia. It felt like everyday there was a new problem that I had to solve which I quite enjoyed as it gave me something new to work on. I also enjoyed being able to work with different departments on certain projects as it gave me a good understanding of how every department plays an important role in a manufacturing plant. Having said that, there were times where I had to complete a lot of admin work which I did not enjoy as much.

I felt very valued by my colleagues as I would get people from across the plant asking me for advice and guidance. I also developed a good relationship with all of my colleagues which allowed me to feel valued by them just as I valued them myself. I also felt very valued by my manager as he would always give me tasks that carried significant importance and he would always entrust me to deputy for him in meetings.

During the handover period, I was given a lot of support and guidance. However, shortly after the handover period, I did not receive as much support and guidance as I was now the only person in my department. One of the managers noticed this and began to support and guide me more with my day-to-day activities. After 6 months, I received a new direct line manager who was able to support me and guide me a lot more in the day-to-day activities due to his previous work experience in similar environments.

There were times where I was really busy as I was finishing projects before the deadline. However, outside of these projects, I was able to comfortably manage my tasks on a daily basis without feeling overwhelmed. Just as there were times where I was really busy, there were times where I did not have much to do. I would get bored during these times but I always made an effort to enjoy it as much I can by working on self-development and taking on Faurecia University Courses because I knew something will happen to make me really busy again.

I was given real responsibilities from day one. For several months during my placement year, I was the only person in my department, managing many different aspects of the site. The biggest responsibility I had was managing the PPE stock on-site to ensure we always had enough for the plant. I also liaised with suppliers for PPE trials by conducting control tests. I was also given the responsibility to represent HSE in management review meetings and to lead numerous projects throughout the year.

The skills that I've developed from my placement year will assist me in my degree studies and beyond by a considerable amount. I have learnt the dynamics that exist in a professional workplace and how to work around them in the best way possible. This will be applicable to me in my degree studies during group projects as I feel confident in being able to deal with different people now. This will also help me immensely in my future career as I will have a better understanding of what to do should I face a similar problem in the workplace.

The general atmosphere in the office was great for the most part. People knew when to be serious and when it was ok to not be so serious. People would bring in food for special occasions which was always good as it made everyone in the office happy. There were instances where I felt the atmosphere in the office wasn't so great because certain people would be quite loud and talk badly about others. However, I don't believe any office will be perfect and these instances were not common occurrences. As a result, I enjoyed the general atmosphere in the office for most of my placement.

The overall work placement was organised quite well. At the start, there was a 2-week handover period with the previous student and there was also a 2-day placement student induction event at a hotel that involved an overnight stay. I also had a review with my manager every 3 months to organise my placement year objectives and targets. Towards the end of my placement, it was still organised quite well with an End of Placement digital event scheduled in before our last day.

I can tell the plant management team at my site was prepared to invest in me a considerable amount for my training and development. I was scheduled to go abroad to the Czech Republic for a 2-day conference event to be able to train me in significant changes that will be happening to HSE within Faurecia so that I could implement these changes effectively in my plant. I was also scheduled to undertake an IOSH course to be able to enhance my HSE knowledge. However, due to the recent coronavirus pandemic all of this was cancelled.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are very appealing for me since I enjoyed working at Faurecia. I would be very interested in returning as a UK Graduate or on the VIE Scheme. As a UK Graduate, I will be sponsored by Faurecia to complete a part-time Masters across two years which will allow me to achieve a higher academic qualification. On the VIE Scheme, I would be able to experience how it is to work in a different country. Overall, future employment prospects within Faurecia are excellent!

There was a really good social scene amongst the other placement students. People would host house parties. Also, there was a weekly football session organised by one of the graduates where all the students were invited. The football session would take place straight after work so that most people can attend. There was also a good number of social events organised by the students throughout the year to keep the morale high. From going to restaurants and bars to nightclubs, the social scene amongst the students was strong and fun.

Cost of living was low for me since I was able to commute from home in Birmingham. If you will not be able to commute from home to work, it is best to talk with the other placement students who are in the same position as you. It will save you a lot of money if you can get accommodation organised with others early on in your placement year. The cost of socialising in local restaurants in Lichfield is expensive as there isn't any reasonably priced restaurants in the city. It would be cheaper and better to socialise in Birmingham.

Nightlife in Lichfield isn't great.

All UK Placement Students in Faurecia were a part of Faurecia’s Charity Challenge. For our placement year, the challenge included raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society. We competed between plants to see who could raise the most money for the charity. At our site we raised money for the charity through bake sales in the canteen to Halloween Pumpkin Carving competitions and Christmas Raffles. The Charity Challenge at Faurecia was a great placement experience for me as it allowed me to give back to the local community and have something to work on that is different from my regular job duties.