Aero Technologist Review

I enjoyed the experience very much. The work was challenging but engaging and I learnt new skills whilst developing old ones further.

Colleague feedback is a high priority at Rolls-Royce with team debriefs every week. This allowed for an opportunity to discuss your work with the team and to hear some constructive comments from them. The team in general were really friendly and enjoyable to talk to.

My manager and supervisor were very supportive offering me help whenever I needed it. They would explain what they wanted from me within context but then allowed me a bit of a free reign to see what I was capable of. I found this helpful for developing myself.

I was fairly busy on a daily basis, however there were a few lulls as it was the holiday season and people were away.

I was responsible for my work but not very involved with any other projects.

I developed my MATLAB skills a lot which is very useful for CFD modelling in my degree. I also received an in depth understanding of compressors and how they work which will help me in my turbomachinery modules.

The office was friendly and a nice place to work. The overhead natural lighting and open plan of the project hall made the workspace feel more spacious than most others.

At the start there were some issues with my email and access cards. However, these were resolved quickly with the help of my supervisor.

To be allowed into certain areas of the company, I had to go through inductions which taught us about the projects and how to handle the classified nature of the data.

Future employment prospects are very appealing; the company offers a return placement for the following year when you complete your original placement. They also add a bursary for returners make the position more appealing.

The apprentices association run many events to engage the staff in a social situation outside of the office. This is done very effectively with subsided trips/activites.

The cost of living is not too high; the company is located on the outskirts of Bristol which meant the surrounding area was quite empty. Socialising was possible once you entered the city however.

Bristol's nightlife is pretty good but the company was located a couple of miles outside the centre.

The apprentice's association hosted many events. They also had regular sports sessions.