Propulsion Engineering Intern Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at GE Aviation Wales, the site has a great culture, there are many opportunities to learn and the internship is structured extremely well in order to maximize our career development. It was also great having such a large cohort of interns in the same position.

I felt valued by some colleagues and less valued by others. A lot of the shop floor staff are extremely helpful however others clearly do not want to speak to or assist you. I also found that being an intern meant my opinion was less respected in some scenarios. However in general I felt like an important member of my team.

Most of the intern mentors are great and provide you with lots of support and guidance. There were times however that I felt like I was being used as a resource to do some of the more boring but necessary jobs. Frequent development meetings were great to maximize your potential.

How busy I was varied greatly depending on external factors such as engine inputs. There were times when I was extremely busy and others that were very quiet, having more consistent daily duties would have helped with this. Different interns had different responsibilities so this does not apply to everyone.

This is something that I noticed varied greatly depending on position. Some mentors took more of a backwards step an gave their interns great responsibility whereas others used theirs to assist them with their own daily duties. The opportunities to take on more responsibility in projects are always there if you want them however.

I developed a lot of skills and knowledge during this placement that will assist me in my degree studies and beyond. My soft skills such as communication, presentation skills and task management improved immeasurably. I also gained a lot of knowledge that will aid me in a future career in the industry. One complaint would be that the site does not focus on the more technical side of how the engine works which would be more relatable to university studies.

The atmosphere in my office was very good and much more relaxed than previously anticipated. There was a good social side with regular office social events such as meals, bowling etc. The age profile is generally quite high however having so many other interns means that there is always someone to talk to.

The internship was extremely well structured with 5 month and 10 month assessment presentations, a structured curriculum to maximize development and support from a personal mentor. Opportunities were always available to see different sides of the business and expand your knowledge and make the most of the internship and the time spent on site.

Future employment prospects within the organisation vary year on year depending on staff turnover and available positions. Typically I have found that the Wales site hires roughly 1 in 4 of its engineering interns. There is however a quick turnover with a lot of young recent engineering graduates leaving in recent years.

There was a very good social scene among my fellow placement students which was one of the main benefits of this internship. Having over 40 interns starting with me meant that there was always something to do and loads of people with common interests and hobbies to make friends with.

Cardiff is a very cheap UK city to live in, with housing being much cheaper than other areas. As a student you can expect to pay somewhere between 300 to 350 pounds per month to live in the student housing area. Socializing is also reasonably priced however it is more in line with other UK cities.

There are many many options for nightlife in Cardiff however I found them to be very samey. If you enjoy chain nightclubs that play singalong pop music then Cardiff will definitely be for you. There are many nice bars with a broad spectrum of drink choice if you know where to look.

There were many opportunities to get involved in opportunities outside of work. These include the caerphilly 3 peaks challenge, welsh 3 peaks challenge, give and gain day, annual GE challenge cup football tournament. The Wales site is a huge part of the local community and this is reflected by these opportunities.