Facilities Engineer Placement Student Review

I have really enjoyed my placement at Cummins, particularly the chance to get involved with an "Imagineering" project, where I became a STEM Ambassador (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), going into a local school and helping them to build engineering skills. As well as this, I was able to go on a product knowledge course to understand Cummins product range better and attend a Six Sigma introduction course where I learnt about how Cummins uses Six Sigma to benefit the business and which tools are widely used. On a day to day basis I was involved in updating the Business Continuity and Fire Evacuation procedures, worked on Contractor Site Safety and was involved in implementing an energy management system on site. I feel that I have gained a greater understanding of the role of the Facilities department within Cummins and that I was supported throughout my projects and in achieving my goals.

I felt as though I was listened to and that my contribution to projects was valued by other members of the team. I was supported through each stage of my projects and given the opportunity to get involved/ contribute to many different projects being undertaken.

Coming from a business degree background, I had to learn quickly about Facilities and the nature of the company in order to feel as though my contributions were relevant, however, my Supervisor and department were very supportive and guided me through the different tasks, helping me to gain knowledge in different areas and use new programs such as AutoCAD and Relux.

I was kept very busy with multiple projects to manage and work on, giving me a broader understanding of Facilities as a department. My work ranged from making layout changes to office, shop-floor and warehouse spaces using AutoCAD and developing new procedures and ideas for the business continuity and fire evacuation project to working on the implementation of an energy management system on site and developing induction booklets, procedures and tests for contractor site safety.

During my placement I was responsible for managing my own work and given the opportunity to put forward ideas, create procedures and hold meetings that would allow me to progress in the projects. I was trusted to co-ordinate layout changes and moves around the office.

This placement has given me the opportunity to apply many aspects of my business management course and gain new skills in computer aided design and energy management that I had no knowledge of previously. I hope to use these new skills in future positions/ courses and will take back to university some excellent examples of the practical application of theory, such as six sigma, to use in coursework and exams.

Everybody in the office was friendly and helpful, offering support when I needed it. I felt comfortable and happy working in this environment.

The placement was well organised, with many opportunities to get involved in different activities and to put across my feelings/ opinions about the placement and how I felt I could develop further. As a group of placement students, we had induction sessions to the company to get to know each other and find out more about the company. As well as this, various courses and training opportunities were made available throughout the year. My Supervisor, Manager and HR were always willing to help me with any issues or questions I had throughout the year.

The company allowed me to undertake training in Six Sigma and Product Knowledge throughout the year through the Cummins Service Training and the Six Sigma department. I given the opportunity to voice my opinions and get involved in a range of projects that I felt would help me to develop. As well as this, I was able to travel to the Huddersfield plant, to gain a better understanding of how they were implementing their energy management system and speak to the Facilities team there.

I would definitely consider coming back to Cummins once I have graduated. Cummins offers many opportunities for personal and professional development and provides a supportive environment for you to grow and work.

I got along well with the other placement students and a Facebook group was set up for all of us to connect and get to know each other, which was very helpful. The opportunity to get involved with the STEM Ambassador Imagineering Scheme (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) helped me to connect with the other placement students more, as we went into the local schools in groups to help 11-13 year olds to learn about STEM skills and subjects.

I worked in Daventry, Northamptonshire for my placement. Having attended university in Manchester previously, I found the cost of living in Daventry reasonable. However, transport links are not fantastic and you can soon spend quite a bit of money trying to get into Northampton or Rugby for a night out.

Daventry is fairly small, so there is not much choice of bars/ clubs. However, there are many pubs and a Wetherspoon's which is good.

As there was a Facebook group set up for the placement students to connect through, people were able to easily organise social activities most weekends. We also had a department Christmas-do which was fun.