Operations management Student (UAP) Review

My placement role consist of me of providing support to the UAP department within the office and on the shop floor by completing daily tasks such as Monitoring achievement of daily/weekly/monthly targets and implement corrective action initiatives, Monitor and suggest improvements ideas, Assist in managing team performance, inputting daily KPIs and completing monthly reports for my plant and other tasks such as archiving and document controls etc This role also involves attending meetings with my team and participating in charity challenge for the year too.

I have had the opportunity to develop in key areas that I had previously identified as weaknesses before my placement year. An example would be having the chance to present to a team of people and holding meetings on behalf of my manager, this enhanced my confidence in public speaking and build on my leadership skills. I was able to complete various excel tasks which improved my digital competency and from this it helped when creating reports, and graphs. i also learnt how to work in a professional manner whilst also gaining cultural awareness around this.

I was given different levels of responsibilities throughout my placement year and there was many opportunities to take on more responsibilities with different tasks. This included running meetings when my manager was absent, having my own meeting with the GAP leaders to run through previous day performances and discuss ways to move forward, being given reporting to do at the end of each month. i was also able to work independently on tasks. Working independently has proved to be very important as i would be making my own decisions on tasks and a way to use my own initiative.

I was given a good amount of support during my placement year, this included having placement reviews with my manager every 3 months to check progress and assess the objectives that were set for me at the start of my placement year. My manager also set up weekly catch ups to make sure i was happy with all the tasks i was given. i had support from the UAP supervisors as well as other colleagues too.

There was a good company culture within Faurecia and the general atmosphere on a day to day basis in the office was always positive. I’ve been able to put what I’ve learnt into a real-world scenario which has really helped my overall understanding and I feel my placement year has given me a better understanding of the work ethic that exists within these types of companies. I also have a lot more industry knowledge

I have enjoyed being tasked with jobs that actually made a difference in the company and was given a level of responsibility I had not experienced before. I truly felt valued and part of a team. Having a great UAP manager was also a plus factor for me as I was trusted to just get on with the tasks set. I enjoyed working with individuals of all ages and backgrounds and I have certainly made friends beyond the workplace now too. I also enjoyed taking part in this year’s charity challenge as we as a site raised a lot of money for such a great cause and it was enjoyable coming up with ideas and activities to raise this money.

Yes

Ensure each student has a detailed handover, due the covid this year the previous student on my role left a brief overview and not much to go off. Having detailed handover in a file that each student can just add too year by year could be more beneficial and save a lot of time as it would simply just be a case of editing smaller details within this handover file. Ensure students Make use of facilities such as the learning lab online as it will help any student get a better insight of Faurecia. It really helped me and boosted my confidence and knowledge in my function area. Make sure Faurecia emphasise to the students it not just a job! See it as a new learning experience and be honest with yourself to commit to the work, however challenging it may be.