Apprentice Reforms Officer Review

Undoubtedly, these past 15 months have been a valuable insight and will be extremely useful to apply the skills I developed during my return to university. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here as, Volvo Group UK is a lovely company to work for that values its employees and priorities their career development.

There have been multiple positive aspects throughout my time here; however, a prominent one would be the willingness of my team members in Competence Development. As they have all consistently been willing to help with tasks or clarification, regardless of the tight-time schedule they may be working against. This has made me feel very welcome and like a valuable member of the team.

I believe that I have received thorough support during my time here and any concerns I have had have been resolved instantly. Aforementioned, everyone in my team was always willing to support or offer guidance. In addition to this, they were always happy to assist with any academic queries regarding university work.

Throughout the year it is inevitable that there will be busy periods and not so busy periods. Overall, I have been fairly busy day-to-day on consistent basis, however, that is not to say that on some occasions I have been extremely busy or struggling to find work to do. That said, if ever I wanted any additional work all I had to do was communicate with my manager.

If there is one bit of feedback to provide, is that Volvo offered me loads of responsibility from the get go. At first I found this slightly daunting, but once I understood that they are still willing to support, I appreciated the level of respect they had for my ability to deliver despite minimal experience.

I would suggest that as I was been exposed to a number of diverse projects, all of which have helped me comprehend the difference between theory and practice whilst aiding my professional and personal development. The prominent skills I believe I have developed are; • Communication Skills (verbal/non-verbal) • Responsibility/Self-management • Adaptability & Professional Resilience • Listening Skills • Team working Skills • Organisation/Time-management • Commercial awareness In addition to the above, these past 15 months have certainly enhanced my confidence and motivation.

I was based in a large open plan office; therefore you had the opportunity to interact with all departments. However, generally it is quite quiet as you have to be mindful that others may be engaging in Skype meetings or on the telephone. Nonetheless, everyone is quite friendly once you get to know the individuals in the close vicinity of your desk.

When I first started Volvo there was countless opportunity to settle in sufficiently with an intense induction programme scheduled over two weeks. This provided a valuable insight into all sectors of the business and allowed all new interns to comprehend the multiple brands managed by Volvo Group UK. This induction also emphasised the sense of community distributed throughout the workplace, composing a warm welcome.

My team were always extremely passionate to develop me to the best of my ability. Therefore, I was exposed to numerous instructor led-training and e-training throughout my placement. Some of the instructor led-training I received included; • Personal Effectiveness & Time Management • Conversational Coaching • Presentation Skills • Microsoft Outlook Training • Simply Truck Training • Business Communications • Microsoft Excel Training • Read People: Advanced Communication Skills (Body Language Training)

This is certainly the greatest downfall for Volvo Group. It would be pleasant to say that there is an opportunity to return considering the amount of effort and cost Volvo Group have invested at developing me over the past 15 months. However, this looks unlikely across all departments. I know multiple interns including I, have all suggested during feedback that Volvo Group would benefit from a investing in a UK graduate scheme.

Initially, when we all first started our placement year majority of us made an effort and socialised outside of work on a couple of occasions. As time surpassed, smaller friendship groups were formed and socialising became less and less. However, I did not see this as a massive issue at all because those who were still interested in socialising outside of work continued to go ahead and did so.

I am from the local area so I cannot comment of the cost of living, as I do not have anywhere else to compare it to. Nevertheless, I would suggest that this is average, it is not ridiculously cheap nor ridiculously pricey.

Leamington Spa is the nearest place for an adequate night out. There a couple of nightclubs in Leamington for students (Altoria, Smack, Clink, Neon) which are mediocre. Conversely, Birmingham or Coventry are not too far a commute in you are looking for something on a larger scale. There are also lots of nice pubs and bars across Leamington & Warwick.

There are multiple activities I could have got involved in throughout the year, should I have wished to. I have to admit this was not in my interest, but please see the below examples of some of the activities Volvo Group offers; • Social Club – theatre trips and other days out • CIA (Committed of Internal Affairs) – who organise internal events • Trans-Aid Cycle Race • Multiple gym classes at LA Fitness