Industrial Placement Review

The Aldi placement is split into two parts- the first being store time where you will be given an intensive training programme where you will be expected to manage the store with twelve weeks of training. This part is very challenging but the training given to you is of the highest standard and they will not let you manage the store until you have been given the required training. The second part of the business is head office time- during this time you will spend time at each department and enhance your knowledge of what the roles and responsibilities are at this side of the business. This means that you will get to see every aspect of the business and by the end of the placement you will have a great understanding of the company as a whole.

Throughout the placement I always felt valued and an important part of what Aldi were aiming for. If I ever had any problems, then there was always someone there to give advice to resolove my issue. Even though I was an industrial placement student you are still given massive responsibility and are a valued member of the team throughout the year.

Throughout my store time the area manager was always there to give me support and guidance through each step of my training program. Additionally, every three months I would have a meeting with them to outline my strenghs and weaknesses and make sure that I am progressing through my structured training programme. For my head office time, there was always a director for the relevant department to answer any queries you have or any problems you have with projects where they will be more than happy to help you out.

During my store time I was given a lot of responsibilty within a small space of time. As mentioned before I was managing a store within twelve weeks of my training program. Even though this may sound very daunting the relevant training is given to you and there is always somewhere there to help if need be. For head office time where you will be spending time in each department, you will always be kept busy- at first you will learn about the roles of each person within the department and then you will get a chance to take on some of their responsibilies. Within certain departments you will have to research projects and then present your results to the director as well as explaining recommendations for the future.

From the beginning of the placement you are given a great deal of responsibility. You are expected to be commited and willing to learn throughout the training programme to ensure that you are progressing at the expected level. You will be responsilble for running the store on your own throughout this training program and this is a fantastic way to improve your management and organisational skills. At times it was hard going but my confidence definitely grew throughout the training and guidance was given at each step if required.

With the Aldi placement you will get to see every aspect of the business and this will be invaluable for your fourth year degree studies and beyond. Within your store time you will learn a lot about management skills and staff issues which you will be able to transfer for the future.

From day one you are made to feel an integral part of the business. In both store and head office it is a very friendly atmosphere where everyone is more than happy to give you advice and guidance throughout the placement. Efficiency is key in Aldi so everyone is kept busy and made to reach tight guidelines- you are expected to work to this level as well as producing work at a high standard.

Overall the placementis very structured and it is easy to see where you are going to be at each step of the program. For your store time you will be given a detailed outline of where you should be at each part of the process. You will also be able to see your plan for head office and what tasks you will be taking part in during time in each department.

Regarding your store time, the store manager invests a lot of their time to train you up to the standard required to manage the store. You will also attend First Aid courses and a Alcohol Licensing course which is necessary for your store time but can also be beneficial for the future.

Aldi offer a fantastic graduate program where you will get the chance to be an area manager and be in charge of a designated area. As part of your industrial placement you will spend time with the Area Manager so will be given the chance to see what their role involves and if this is of interest to you for the future.

The Industrial Placement students would spend every lunch together discussing what their roles and responsibilities were for that day. We would always be there to help each other with any problems if required.

As I commuted through each day then this did not apply tom me but it was relatively cheap to eat out for lunch and there were plenty of places to go.

As I did not live in the area I worked in, this did not apply to me.

There was Christmas nights out with your store and you were also invited to the store management night out.