Mechanical Engineering Placement Student Review

I found the placement in Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems engineering department both extremely rewarding and enjoyable. The placement was very rewarding because the work I completed was the ‘real work’ that would be a component of the output for the business. I found the placement enjoyable to a high degree because of the colleagues and their attitude towards me as a placement student. I always found myself challenged and trying new things which was the key to a successful placement in my opinion. It was a truly learning enriching experience that couldn’t be more different from University life, which are the reasons I would recommend to any engineering student.

I felt very valued by my colleagues, they were accepting, friendly and most importantly – wanted me to succeed. It was this balance that built the best working relationships with my colleagues. At the beginning of the placement it was understandable that more support and guidance was needed, however mid-end of placement the responsibility continued to grow and this showed me that my colleagues valued the work that I do. This also showed me that I had developed and it was obvious to my colleagues too.

My supervisor was the first point of contact for me, setting my tasks ensuring that I was always challenged. More guidance was required in the early months but as time went on and I got more up to speed with the processes and style of the business it became easier and my supervisor would give more responsibility to me. I feel the support and guidance of my supervisor was crucial in my personal development, he ensured that I knew what I was doing but also challenged me throughout the placement helping me to grow as an engineer. The management team is also very approachable, if I had any issues and could not speak with my supervisor my manager was there to help when he was available. Also managers outside of my department, at any level in the organisation, were very approachable. It was clear to see that the engineering managers had bought into the placement programme.

On a daily basis I was very busy, more so towards mid – end of the placement. In the beginning it is important to have time to figure out how Knorr-Bremse operates as an engineering business. Once I was up to speed, I was very busy. Any moment I felt I did not have enough work, I could approach my supervisor and he would make sure I had something to do, that was worthwhile for me and the company – This was very good to see. Towards the end of the placement I got involved in another department and some big responsibilities to meet the demands of the customers, I found this very rewarding. Being involved in another department ensured that I was busy doing necessary tasks not artificial ones.

I was given more responsibility as the placement went on and it seemed as though this had no limit. It was encouraging that the more I put in to the placement the more I would get out of it. If I wanted to get responsibility and worked hard enough for it, then it could happen. Towards the mid-end of the placement I had a lot of responsibility and was asked to carry out testing and report writing independently. The documents I would write would eventually end up with the customer and the tests I carried out were requested by them. Towards the end of the placement I also had contact with the customer, liaising with them to ensure they were getting what they required. This was very useful in my development and something I could not achieve at University so easily.

The skills I learned on placement had a big impact on my final year of University and my future work. I learned how a business operates and what it is like to work in an engineering organisation. I am now the first graduate at the company and have great confidence in the placement programme; it gives a solid grounding in other skills which you may not get through pure academia. I learned many things but the main ‘take aways’ from the placement year would be the verbal and written communication skills that you gain. The engineering knowledge is more company specific; the process knowledge can be employed at University and in further work however.

The atmosphere in the office was generally good, it’s not too loud although there are about 70 people in the office altogether. Most people are calm and focussing on their own tasks, meetings are carried out in specific bookable rooms so there were not too many distracting discussions happening around me.

The placement had some sessions organised - I had a few days on the shop floor area with manufacturing to get a bit of hands on experience which was very useful. The placement was organised in terms of equipment I needed (IT for example) and the department I would be working in. The tasks however were not organised but that was a positive factor for me. This allowed me to work on the tasks that a regular engineer in the department would work on, complex or simple. The organisation was that what the company intended in my opinion.

The company invests in a sense that the team I worked in and all management had bought into the programme. Everyone I worked with wanted to help you and see you develop. There were no planned training sessions but training took place on the job from the people who know how to do it. Therefore, in my opinion, you are receiving the best training you could get. In terms of development, with the supervisor and manager I had always challenging me, it allowed me to develop. The company does very well to develop students into engineers in a short period of time.

The future prospects are very appealing with a potential graduate programme offer for when the degree studies are complete. This is dependent upon your individual performance during your placement year. The graduate programme offers the chance for engineering graduates to work on all the competencies required for professional registration as an engineer. This is done through departmental rotation, showing the graduate all aspects of the company, including, of course, engineering but also sales and project management for example. This can give a very good grounding for a career in engineering.

When I was on placement it was not that good on the social scene, however it was only the first year the programme was run so there was only 3 students. Now, in its 3rd year, there are 13 placement students/graduates and we regularly head out to do different social events. Recently we have been out to Go-karting and bowling all together. With the company asking more students back as graduates and increasing the number of roles open to placement students this will only get better.

The cost of living and socialising in the Melksham area can be quite expensive, especially if you spend time at the closest city – Bath. However the socials that we have been on haven’t been as expensive since there are often mid-week deals on in certain places that we look to take advantage of.

The nightlife in Melksham (where the office is located) is not good. The closest city for good nightlife is Bath. Bath is about 30 minutes by car but the local transport link to Bath from the office / Melksham is not the best. Bath is a highly rated city by many and has many good bars and restaurants.

There are some events run by the company that take place outside of work. There is 5 a side football on Wednesday evenings. The company also organises a triathlon each year that involves 3 colleagues making a team to complete the London Triathlon, each doing one of the three sections. Whilst on placement the company organised and funded a cycle from Melksham, the location of the office, to Monte Carlo.