Brake Controls - Graduate Trainee Review

Very interesting work so far, 1 month into a 3 month placement assisting with a top level issue within my department.

I feel very valued. My work, ideas, opinions and perspective on issues are taken into account.

Fantastic support is provided to get you up to speed with what is going on and what you need to be doing. You will generally be working alongside one of the other team members initially as you settle in and get to know how everything works, then the more competent you become the more you can give back in return.

While there are the odd moments where there doesn't seem to be anything to do in the immediate vicinity, there is always one task or another that can be worked on. If you're initiative isn't able to come up with anything productive then the majority of people you are working with will have something that you can help with.

Plenty of responsibility was given. I was carrying out measurements at a different site within the first couple of weeks that will influence the course of action against the related project issue. If these were to be done wrong or in a shoddy manner then they could have a negative influence on the outcome.

Until you have done some form of prolonged work in industry you cannot appreciate how much it influences the way you work and react to challenges. This is most noticeable if you have to return to University and work in group projects with people that haven't completed any industrial placements.

Everyone is friendly and there is plenty of banter going backwards and forwards while at the same time remaining professional and working hard.

Seems mostly ok, having done a previous placement in a different department it can seem a bit random where you get put into by HR, and the experience varies a lot with different teams, managers and functions.

Having worked here before I did not require much in the way of training to settle in to the company, however when I was here before I went on several training courses. Whether you go on training or development courses depends entirely on whether it is needed, your manager, and whether you ask or not. If you don't at least ask about different courses then you won't generally get offered them. More training is available on 12 month placements than on 3 month placements due to the additional time you are with the company, meaning mangers are more willing to spend the resource on you, and don't mind losing you for the duration of the longer courses quite so much.

If you have done previous placement time with the company and have shown yourself to be a worthwhile member of the team/company, you will mostly get invited back for further placements, or if it is your last year you can get fastracked through to a special graduate assessment centre, which makes it a lot quicker and easier to get back in on the Graduate Scheme.

I understand that there is among those that live together in towns but as I was living out in the countryside with my parents I unfortunately did not hear about much that was going on.

Lived with parents so I cannot comment on specifically on the cost of living, however it is reasonably cheap. Pubs in the villages are reasonably priced.

There are plenty of clubs and bars in Leamington Spa and Coventry, and plenty of pubs in the villages and towns around.

If you know the people that are doing them.