Manufacturing Operations Intern Review

It was a great experience where I was able to develop a number of valuable skills from; project management to LEAN Six Sigma to leadership. The quality of mentoring is next too none and I would hope to return one day. The internship program is exceptional, in the respect that it aids both the employees and companies development. I would recommend the internship to anybody considering a career in aviation or even as broad as manufacturing.

You work with a variety of colleagues from; business leaders to shop floor operators and other interns. All of these shown support and gratitude for all of my work activities and projects. Senior employees value your development and experience and are happy to help wherever possible. This was one of the most surprising conceptions which I discovered whilst working ay GE, and is something I have never experienced at any other employer.

I was fortunate (like all other interns) to have two very experienced and knowledgable mentors within their fields of work. I was able to be open about any problems I faced during my day to day activities, and they were more than happy to help and support. They provided exceptional feedback during employee reviews, which since helped me to develop further within the industry as a professional, as well as a person. I am grateful for all of their support.

You are busy in a number of different way, and you as an individual will determine this. I would carry out my day to day activities to ensure for the smooth flow of materials throughout the business. You were also allowed the time to work on your own individual projects (e.g. cost out projects) which was critical to my development. As well as this, I was able to volunteer at local schools and businesses to further my experiences.

When I first joined the company I was surprised with the amount of responsibility I was given to carry out my job role. I was able to carry out critical business decisions which would large effects on the business. Working at different companies I have never experienced this type of responsibility but also trust. This helped me grow in confidence, and it is an experience which I can take into future interviews, and is something I will value far into the future.

I was able to dig deep into a variety of different manufacturing processes, which I would have never been able to discover in my university studies. One which stands out greatly to me is the development and implementation of LEAN Six Sigma on site. I was able to see first hand how these theories were implemented and how it can be moulded to fit the business needs. This is a big experience which I can take into my future career, and future studies.

My office (like many others on the site) was energetic and friendly. It was an atmosphere I would look forward to entering, even though I was required to be onsite early in the morning. We would eat lunch together, talk about personal lives and developed great relationships amongst each other, which shown in the production of our work. I will be keeping in touch with nearly all of the colleagues which I shared a office with the past year.

There was a concrete internship structure which has been used for a number of year, and in my opinion may have been slightly outdated, but it was flexible for interns to carry out some aspects of work which may not have been on the programme. I hope the company takes on feedback from past interns of how the experience can be improved and how the program is structured, and I'm adamant that they'll do this in the coming years.

I was extremely fortunate to be given a project lead position on a company wide project, which involved moving certain areas of the site to another. I was able to invest company finances into this project, which inevitably was invested into my professional development. There were a lot of training courses onsite which the interns were encouraged to attend (which I did). These would simply familiarise and educate you on theories implemented by the company, which I found very helpful to my development.

I'm extremely excited to apply for the Operations Management Leadership Programme this upcoming year, and I have a lot of confidence that I will progress far into the application process. The sole reason for this is because of all the experience and knowledge I have gained the past year. If I fall short in this application process I will be able excited to apply for other roles within the organisation, and I will have great references to do so.

Unfortunately, I lived at home during my placement year, which meant I was not in student accommodation. Though did develop a lot of positive relationships with other interns. I did attend a lot of social events organised by the interns which were great fun and helped develop a lot of relationships. I was more involved with my office, as we went out for a christmas party and are still in touch now. I guess it's dependant on the individual who you bond with more, but you can click with anybody in the company.

The cost of living in Cardiff/Swansea was the same as most cities. The wage provided by GE was very generous for what is required to live. Meaning you ca buy food, pay rent but also enjoy day to day activities and social events.

It's a big city with a number of different clubs and pubs, for people with different music tastes. It is a friendly and cultured environment which more or leas anybody will feel comfortable in. I will continue to go back.

We were encouraged to participate in a lot of volunteer events, but this was the most of which we had. It should be considered that COVID-19 eventually had an effect on what we could/couldn't do outside of work. I'm sure this will improve once the initial effects of the pandemic pass.