Food Technology BPP Review

I am really enjoying my work placement. I have been given so many opportunities and am able to learn so much about the food industry. It has been a really good introduction to the Food Technology industry and I would not have learnt all of this without being involved in the industry.

I felt very valued by my close team of colleagues. At first I found it a bit hard to be included in the wide team but after a month or so I felt comfortable and knew who to talk to about any queries. I also found everyone supportive and helpful if my line manager was not in.

My line manager has been extremely supportive. We have been having weekly catch ups where she can give me guidance and advice which is really helpful. I also have catch ups with my supervisor so I can explain what is happening with my projects etc so I feel very supported.

Normally, I was out of the ofice for two or three days a week which was really interesting. I would therefore normally be busy for the remaining days in the office which was good. If I had too much or too little work, my line manager would always be able to help with the workload or give me another project to work on.

I was given a good amount of responsibility during my placement. During the first month I was mainly just shadowing and then as I developed more confidence I was gievn more tasks and responsibilities. I was also given project work from different technologists, meaning that I could work across different categories. If I ever felt overwhelmed, I would always be able to ask for help,

I think that I have so far developd skills that will really assist with my degree and beyond. I have developed general skills, such as time management and team working, especially with people I have never met. I have also been able to develop specific skills in food that I think will really help me when I go back to uni.

The general atmosphere was very friendly. People were always very engaged and cared about how everyone was doing. In the busy points, such as the run up to Christmas, the atmosphere was more stressful as everyone was busy but still found that my close team were very friendly and helpful.

I found that the majority of the placement was very organised. I had a structure of learnings and tasks to tick off throughout the placement. The main negatove of organisation was the induction. We were not given a specific time to arrive or any information. so all ended up being there 2 hours early on the first day.

The company invested heavily in personal training and development. I was able to go on many training courses, which would help with my degree and also potentially future career. I was also able to travel to many different sites and evemts going on, both in my category and outside, so my development was very strong.

I would be very interested in future employment prospects within the organisation.

There was an okay social scene. We occasionaly had grad days so we were able to meet more people and socialise. Most of the sical scene among the placement students we organised ourselves as there were not many of us and it was easy to organise things amongst the group of us.

The cost of living and socialising was extremely expensive. The placement was in London so his was to be expected.

The nightlife is very good. I did not go out much during the placement but when we did it was very fun. I am from the area so I also did not need to explore too much, so cannot really offer objective comments on this question as was not a new area for me

Not many opportunities.