Undergraduate Engineer Review

The opportunity to have 3 placements during my time there was fantastic. It made sure that work in new, unfamilliar environments and made for great personal development. The work was extremely intersting and always challenging. The icing on the cake for me was the chance to travel to Spain on trials to test out our new product and watch it work!

During my time at BAE, I always felt that my work was valued. All of the tasks I did had real meaning and were not simply exercises for the placement student. The people around me treated me as full employee and were a pleasure to work with.

The undergraduate manager and my departmental managers were fantastically helpful thoughout the year and continue to be so even now I am back at university. There is always someone there to help answer questions and guide you.

I was given alot of responsibility and work to do during the year, in particularly during my last placement. As with anywhere however, there are always quiet days. Overall, there was a lot of work to do and people counting on you to complete your tasks.

In my first placement, I was liasing with the customer though telephone and email aswell as producing important reports that help keep the aircraft flying. in my second placement I was given a fesability study to concuct in to the possible use of a new piece of software and by the end of the placement and as such I was the only person there taht could use it and it was down to me to pass on my knowledge to the other members of the team. My last placment was extremely challenging and I was given the role of chief engineer on a project whilst helping on others.

The placement year at BAE has really helped me, not only in terms of the engineering content of the year, but in terms of personal skills development as well as reinvigorating me ready for my last 2 years at university.

Having experienced 3 different departments, generally, the atmosphere was very good. There is quite a number of other young people there (appretices or graduates) so you are not on your own by any mean.

BAE Military Air Solutions have a fantasic set up for their placement scheme, wherby as a student, you complete 3 placements. As such you never get bored of a particular place/job role. Furthermore, there is a engineering HR placement manager who is always there to help you choose your next placmenet and give general placement advice.

I felt a real valued employee, espcially with the opportunity to be chief engineer on a project and the trip abroad.

I have been asked to go back for a summer placment in 2010 and to go back after my degree to enter on the graduate scheme!

It was a small intake and as such it was as easy to loose contact with the few undergrads that were about!

The prices did seem to be cheap that the area where I come from (Staffordshire).

Preston and Blackpool are nearby so not bad but not great!

There are ususally departmental football teams join as well as a variety of social clubs and societies for hiking, flying etc