Business Undergraduate Review

Working at AW has been a fantastic year and been more enjoyable than I could have ever thought. AW offers you the opportunity to work in up to four different areas which is quite unique as the vast majority of placement companies just offer you a single role which you do for the whole year. I was able to get involved in a large number of activities outside of my placement which are all on offer. It really is a placement where if you work hard and want to get involved in as much as possible, it is there for you.

The people and managers I worked with in my first placement were fantastic, the team I was sat with and did a lot of work for, worked exceptionally hard but there was still a lot of enjoyment and 'banter'. As we worked just above the build line and flight shed there was a lot of pride and hard work ethic as we saw the work we did in actual practice on the shop floor. As I was part of the team I was treated exactly the same as everybody else. The Business Control department/Operations has a reputation with apprentices and students as being a tough placement with lots of responsibility, which shows how much this particular area values you. In my second placement a very large amount of learning was required with regards to understanding the MoD and its processes. My department were extremely supportive with any questions I had no matter how simple and integrated my learning with various tasks and visits to the customer so I could put my learning into practice. I felt very valued as people were giving up their time to teach me what at times seemed like 'a mountain of knowledge' but once I had a grip of basic knowledge I was given some big responsibilities and projects which was very motivating. This shows how highly they regard undergraduates and the potential they have to input to the department.

In both my placements I reported directly to managers and supervisors who despite being very busy always found time for any problems I had or if i needed to talk over any work. In Operations I reported to two senior managers both whom had extremely busy schedules. One manager in particular in charge of the R&O build line was in constant communication with me and even gave me his mobile number saying whatever my problem or issue give him a ring whatever meeting he is in. In addition I was supervised by a member of the Business Control team whom gave up a large amount of time to help me with work or issues. This gave me great confidence to know whatever the problem I had somebody to help me. In my second placement in Campaigns, again working for my manager and supervisor whom both were very busy, always set up regular meetings to go over my workload and there on hand for any questions I had. Sometimes my manager/supervisor would be away visiting a customer but the rest of the team were always there for support and guidance. Particularly working for my supervisor whom had previously been a graduate, they understood how hard it can be going to a new department and were fantastic in helping me integrate in and learn about the department.

Overall, in my placements I was given a large amount of work and learning to do which meant I had to improve my organisational skills to ensure I was able to complete all tasks. In addition, if I wanted more work to do there was always tasks and jobs available so I was never not busy in my placement. Outside of placement, as an undergraduate I was involved in the Heritage Trail (putting up boards around site giving information about the history of the company) and the Flying Start Challenge. (Going to schools and teaching them about engineering with emphasis on creating their own glider) In addition, being involved in AWASA and various charity initiatives took up a large amount of time. I was extremely busy at times but this taught me so many different things on how to cope with large workloads which has improved my organisational and time management skills.

In Operations I was given a large amount of responsibility from the very start, including a number of large projects. My main project was the delivery of a number of Tail Pylons which had to leave the build line by a certain date as directed by the Managing Director himself. I was directed by my manager to ensure this happened by producing plans, schedules and manning charts which was a huge responsibility I think you would find hard to replicate at any other placement company. In addition, working on a large number of tasks which directly affected the build line and a number of contracts currently in production. In Campaigns, due to the sensitive nature of the department I had to do a large amount of learning before I could contribute to the department, but as previously stated once I had a good understanding I was given big responsibilities. This included producing work for new business opportunities, visiting customers and analysis of the MoD and customers.

Due to my high workloads I have improved a tremendous amount with regards to my organisational, communication and time management which will help no end in my final year of Uni and beyond. With regards to technical skills I have improved my Microsoft packages (Excel, PowerPoint, Project) due to my time spent in Operations in particular. But also my knowledge of the aircraft which if i want to return to AW or the aerospace industry will be of great help even though I am a business student.

Both of my departments were great with a good balance of hard work and enjoyment. Due to the unique product at AW there is a real sense of hard work ethic and passion for the product and this feeds through. In my departments I have made friends I still speak to and socialise with even though my placement has ended. During my time there were a number of social events including football, quizes, curry nights and pool which helps you build relationships with your department.

The overall HR set up of the placement and internship was fantastic from my experience. Any problems I had could be resolved with the help of my training officer almost immediately. However again, you get what you put into it, and need to ensure you maximise your chances of getting firstly a placement you want to learn from and also that you have a good manager/supervisor. To do this I ensured I emailed and spoke to a number of people in a particular area I was interested in and sought after somebody who actively wanted an undergraduate and had tasks/projects they wanted completed. Before accepting my placement in Campaigns I had three separate meetings with managers to go over what they wanted and I wanted to get out of a placement in that department. Overall, if you want to go to a department, if you speak to enough people you will find somebody who will take you on and give you a great experience. There is also a training officer dedicated to the undergraduates who will give you contacts and help you find what you want if you are less proactive yourself.

We were all given a Presenting a Professional Image Workshop near the start of our placement which gave us a good insight into the type of person we are and how we could improve but this was the only workshop or piece of training all the undergraduates received. However as we are only here for 12 months we understand they cannot invest too much, but I am aware that the graduate scheme offers quite a few training days like we had. I did have access to a Microsoft Packages training program which I asked for due to the high demand for knowledge in this areas across the business as a whole. Whilst I was in AWASA (The student and apprentices committee) we went on a few team building days paid for by the company which was a great experience.

There is a fantastic graduate scheme which looks very appealing and will enable me to build on my great experience as an undergraduate. There is no guarantee of a placement as a graduate after being an undergraduate but it can only help your case if you have a good experience as an undergraduate. I do not know of many companies which automatically give you a place on the graduate scheme just based on your undergraduate year.

Part of the reason why I enjoyed the year so much was our social group where the majority of the undergraduates got together everyday at lunch and on the occasional evening. This helped as we were able to ask each other about problems at work as usually one of us knew the answer. We have made friends for life in this year and it made the year fantastic. It really is luck on the year group you get but if you put the effort in like the majority of us did you really benefit.

I lived at home so my rent was very low and to socialise in Yeovil is not that expensive compared to any of the big cities. At AW your on a very good wage and for the area so as long as you are sensible you will have no problems.

Theres a good range of restaurants and bars with one main nightclub called Neo. Due to the size of Yeovil there is no need for more than one large nightclub and Bournemouth, Bristol and Taunton are not far away. We never had a bad night out in Yeovil as a group of undergraduates so it cant be that bad.

I was involved in AWASA which is for all the apprentices and students of the company. My role was to do with Charity and I was involved in the organisation of, the company raffle, quizes, Cider and Beer Festival, selling of Haynes T-shirts, the sponsored walk and attending various events representing the company including the queens jubilee fete and Yeovil Air Day. There is also AWADP which is more for graduates and employees but again it is what you make it and if you get involved in these like I have you will enjoy your year no end. You meet so many different people you would not otherwise meet and it all looks great on your CV.