Propulsion Engineering Intern Review

Steep learning curve but a lot of support was offered to get up to speed with the business. GE Aviation offers a fantastic opportunity to gain hands on experience in the field of aircraft engine maintenance. I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and would recommend it to anybody with an interest in the aerospace industry.

Interns play an integral role in the team, often collecting detailed information required to make business decisions. Because of this I were respected and my contribution was valued by all members of staff I dealt with,

Each intern is allocated an individual mentor, all of which are more than happy to explain unfamiliar concepts and provide guidance when making decisions with cost implications. Management are open to suggestions of new ways of doing things, providing you have the information to justify your decision.

The workload of the department is directly tied to engine inputs to the business and as such can vary significantly throughout the year. As I developed my skills I was able to take ownership of component repairs and follow them through the business, rather than just collecting information.

Interns are given significant responsibility, their work feeds directly into the final decision as to whether a component is repaired or replaced. As such interns are responsible for ensuring the right people have the right information promptly.

I developed my understanding of in service component deterioration, airworthiness regulations and airline operations. In addition since we deal with engine hardware day in day out, my understanding of turbofan engine architecture has also significantly improved.

The office atmosphere was great, people had a laugh but were ready to help when it was necessary to do so.

The placement did not follow a particular structure e.g. quarterly rotations. Instead the role was mine for the year to get out what I put in, and as I developed and understood the business better my job satisfaction increased also. The process of joining the company was relatively seamless; with a meet and greet day, intern night out and meet the senior management afternoon all taking place in the early stages of the internship.

I was able to attend one technical training course which I found interesting and beneficial. I would have appreciated more, however, they were not offered to intern level staff. The engineering department were more than happy to provide any additional training/background information if it was needed.

Competition for graduate roles at the site is intense (usually around 10% of interns are offered one). Graduate roles do not pay competitively and long term career progression is not the best. Graduates progress through the business by backfilling rather than following a dedicated scheme.

Social activities were frequently organised between interns which included nights out, kayaking, paintballing etc. Out of work events with the office were frustratingly rare, mainly down to clashing out of work commitments. When we did meet up outside of work we had a laugh.

Cardiff is relatively cheap for a major city. Living and socialising costs were both fair.

Cardiff has a relatively good nightlife due to its large student population and its popularity for weekend breaks.

There is a very active volunteering scheme at GE, allowing employees to take time out of work to help out in the community. Activities such as maths mentoring to local schools and the Welsh Three Peaks challenge were also facilitated by the company.