Andrew PeaseBEng Mechanical EngineeringIntroduction:GlaxoSmithKline, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world supplies a wide array of pharmaceutical products throughout the world. These include treatments for diabetes, cancer, virus control (H1N1, etc), infections, digestive problems, asthma and mental health. The company also supplies consumer products including Lucozade, Ribena and Aquafresh toothpaste.Location: Barnard CastleAccommodation: I lived with four other industrial placement students in Barnard Castle. The factory was a 10 minute walk from the factory.Job Title: Project EngineerPay: 16,250 Holiday: 25 daysDescription: Working within a team of professional engineers I developed, installed, commissioned and maintained production equipment. This ranged from testing equipment (glove integrity tester) to packaging equipment (VTE labellers). Equipment Used: Siemens programmer laptops, vision systems, flow meter calibration, 2d coding quality checking and a large range of production equipment.

Skills Learnt:Technical Knowledge: Working with and around the production equipment daily develops a knowledge and in some cases an expertise of the equipment.Communication: In contact with other departments and contractors on site daily.Teamwork: Working in and leading a team throughout a project gives a good understanding of the importance of teamwork for success.Validation and Report Writing: Throughout each project I had to write protocols and reports helping me to improve my literacy skills.

Fears: Not being able to understand: the support I was given made it a smooth process even though there was a lot to learn.

Advice:Apply for as many placements as possible.Attend the workshops regarding interview techniques.Visit the placement office and get them to review your CV and suggest possible placements.

Employer ProfileDoosan Babcock is a multi-specialist energy services company operating in the thermal, nuclear, petrochemical, oil & gas and pharmaceutical industries. Doosan Babcock is also a leading international steam generation OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and supplier of the cleanest, most efficient coal powered technology in the world. They provide innovative technology that supports and enhances the service life of energy assets across the globe. For over a century Doosan Babcock have been adding bottom line value for customers. They develop cutting edge technologies to improve plant performance, reduce emissions and ensure safe and efficient plant operation. Employer: Doosan Babcock EnergyPosition: Mechanical EngineerNorthumbria University School of CEISCustomer Benefitswww.doosanbabcock.comDale McLaurinMechanical Engineering B.Eng (Hons)Location: WhitehavenSalary: 13,000Office ProfileFrom their local office in Cumbria Doosan Babcock offer their customers full engineering, technical and project scoping and management support. These activities focused around supporting Sellafield Siteactivities including Engineering, Procurement and Construction projects, Decommissioning, AssetIntegrity and Outage Management Support.Roles & ResponsibilitiesCreate Technical documents such as Method statement, scope of work, Project sheet etc.Creating Drawings & Computer ModellingDesign DevelopmentDesign SubstantiationOn site Surveying Mechanical Lifting operations using craneNew Skills & Experience GainedTechnical Knowledge such as AutoAD, Solid Edge, Design Calculations etcMeetings and correspondence with both client and Subcontractor have developed skills in:Acting AssertivelyManaging othersCommunicating Clearly etc.

Corporate Golf OutingsManufacture Facility VisitsPrivate Health Care

Professional Registration FeesBonus SchemeTraining Support

Company BenefitsJob Description: Working in the team responsible for delivering the 90 million SAV Nuclear Project

MISSILE SYSTEMS Name: Ross CottamCourse: Mechanical EngineeringJob Title: Customer Support & Services Air Defence & Surface AttackSalary: 16,000 + OvertimeHoliday: 24 days + FlexiLocation: Stevenage

MBDALOCK ON TO MBDA SOUTIONSCompany Profile Created in December 2001 with more than 50 years of experience following the merger of the main missile companies in France, the United Kingdom and Italy, MBDA has become a world leader in missiles and missile systems. Employing around 10,000 people and serving over 90 customers around the world MBDA is the first truly integrated defence company in Europe and the only Company able to provide guided weapon systems for each branch of the Armed Forces whether in the air, at sea or on land.My RoleI worked in Customer Support & Services where the aim is to provide Leadership and technical direction in the development & delivery of Support Solutions for UK products across their lifecycle. During the placement my role focused on FLAADS / CAMM (Future Local Area Air Defence System / Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) this involved:- Developing an understanding of Customer satisfaction. - Working with a broad range of business and technical activities.- Ensuring that the Support Solution Design is coherent with the product design across the CADMID cycle (Concept, Assessment, Demonstration, manufacture, In-service, Disposal).- Working with key MOD customers & appreciating their support needs & issues.- Technical and management of the life Cycle addressing all elements of capability.Life cycle & cost modelling & Support Strategy development.Developing new business methods that can be applied throughout the company, during my tome at MBDA I worked on developing CfA (Contracting for Availability) and Stockpile ManagementSkills & DevelopmentAll placements at MBDA focus on developing certain key skills; Professionalism, Communication, Critical & Analytical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Problem Solving, Adaptability/Flexibility and Team work. During my placement I worked with SAP (Systems Application and Product) and PDM (Product Data Management) computer programmes which are common to all major companies in industry today. I attended a number of training courses that ranged from Missile Awareness to Advanced Excel. I also visited a wide range of external sites including MOD and Missile Testing areas.

Work placement Job 2010 - 2011Name: Dengiyefa IbeteiCourse: Mechanical EngineeringJob Location: Aberdeen, ScotlandIntroductionI was assigned to work with Shell exploration and production upstream in Aberdeen as the Central Asset onshore/offshore Support Engineer. My job covers 60% of operations and 40% of maintenance. I report to my line manager who is the Engineering modification lead for the maintenance department and the Operation cluster manager (work base supervisor). While with Shell, I was opportune to visit all three platforms which gave me a sound understanding on how exploring and producing of natural resources take place.

Professional Offshore Training CourseBOSIET Training MIST TrainingOrganizationShell is a global group of energy and petrochemicals companies with around 93,000 employees in more than 90 countries and territories. Shells headquarter is in The Hague, the Netherlands. Shell Exploration and Productions (Upstream) UK base is in Aberdeen where 2,500 staffs are directly and indirectly employed both onshore and offshore. Shell Exploration and Production in Aberdeen has nine platforms in the North Sea. Shell upstream explores for and extracts crude oil and natural gas which are exported to St. Fergus and Fife (the two onshore plants) to be refined. Sometimes oil and gas are produced and processed offshore and exported directly to the grid line for household use.

Role / DutiesMy roles and duties involves the following: Project manage the upgrade of two desanding hydrocyclone vessel on the Brent Charlie Platform.- Onshore Focal Point for the Nelson Bolting Project.- Modification of central platform potable water lines. Offshore trip to train technicians on the use of a data logger device as shown in figure 1.- Coordinate managerial meetings. General support to offshore and onshore personnel. Custodian of the Central platforms production tracker. Central platform onshore vessel shutdown Focal point. Project management troubleshooting support.

Salary / Perks Annual salary of 20K. Holiday paid for as well as lunch taken care of. There is usually a monthly Asset activities which could either be Mexican night out, bowling, cinema and wine tasting nights all paid for by the Asset manager. ConclusionIn conclusion, I believe that my year at Shell has been very valuable. In addition to learning a lot of technical knowledge about data logger, and a feel of working in the operations and maintenance department, I have had the opportunity to develop many different skills, both technical and social and also my communication skill has increased greatly as well as my organizational skill and working under pressure and the ability to work alone.

On shearwater platform in the north seaFigure 1 Data Logger Device.Figure 2 Production tracker showing daily production performance.Figure 3 Showing corroded fasteners on a spool piece.AchievementNotable achievements include being assigned to train offshore technicians on the use of data logger and the PI manual Logger application as well as providing a trouble shooting guide. This gave me the opportunity to experience life offshore. The training given to the technicians offshore has lessen the amount of complain from the platform and the use of the data logger device has increased.

About 3MConsumer & OfficeDisplay & GraphicsElectro & CommunicationsHealth CareIndustrial & TransportationSafety, Security & Protection ServicesProject Teamwork 3M AycliffeA day in the life of an MT Engineerwww.careers.3M.co.ukWhy choose 3M?3M HAS SIX MAJOR BUSINESS DIVISIONS

For over 40 years HMY Radford have specialised in the designing, manufacture, and installing outstanding retail, public, educational and commercial spaces.

In 2006 they reinforced their activity, by joining the HMY Group, an International leader in retail, display and commercial furniture with a foothold in more than 40 countries and a combined group turnover in excess of 500 Million in 2010.

They offer a full project capability, from concept design, through manufacture to a complete and integrated project management service always executing or customers projects to the most exacting standards.

In the UK, HMY Radford operate from a highly developed site based in Newcastle upon Tyne with a manufacture and storage footprint of 20,000 square meters and total site exceeding 70,000m2. Remote storage facilities and experts located throughout the country also allow them to provide a responsive localised service that our customers demand.

Hobson Industrial Estate BurnopfieldNewcastle upon TyneNE16 6EAName : Liam Harrison Course : Mechanical Engineering Job Title : Student Design EngineerSalary : 12000 with overtimeHoliday Entitlement : 25 days While working at HMY Radford I was living in Chester-Le-Street approximately 8 miles away from the company and made the journey by car.

I feel that I have really benefited in many different aspects from having a placement experience at HMY Radford. My time spent with the company has developed me as a person and an engineer. It has helped me to understand what an engineering job is like in reality and helped me to further understand the areas of engineering that appeal to me. Having had this placement I believe it will be much easier to find work when I finish university as I have had relevant experience. While working for the company I suggested ideas for improvement of the load test facilities and procedures. I made the suggestion that the company takes me on part time when I go back to university and that I redo the way they do load testing. They agreed to this and therefore when my placement finishes I will start working as a load test engineer for two days a week with overtime if required. They have also stated that I will also have a full time graduate engineering job waiting for me when I finish university. While working for the company part time I will be at first sent to their load testing facility in France to see how they do testing there. I will then create testing rigs and procedures to ensure good results for the company in the future. I am very glad that I am going to have this opportunity as it is going to be a large scale project that I will learn a lot from. My jobs consisted of;Designing products to be manufacturedCreating and changing engineering drawingsLoad testing products

G Gurmilan Singh Randhawa B BEng Mechanical EngineeringJob Title: Manufacturing Engineering Student.Annual Salary: 12,250Holidays Entitled: 25

TRW manufactures:ECB Electronic Parking Brake,ACR Active Control RetractorACU Airbag Control UnitRAS Remote Airbag SensorLKAS Lane Keep Assist SensorLDW Lane Departure Warning

TRW Automotives at Peterlee has a total size of 500 employees working 24 hours a day.

The biggest gift of this placement year was to develop my self confidence and improve my communication skills.I also learnt to manage my time and work as a team. I was provided with a separate desk with a computer.

The only major problem initially I faced was hesitation to ask.I was not able to finish jobs on time but later I learnt about prioritising my jobs.

TRW Automotives, Peterlee, Durham, SR8 2HR

DALE WHITEHEAD Mechanical Engineering (BEng)Employer: WS Atkins PLCLocation: WhitehavenJob Description: Mechanical Placement StudentHours: 37.5 PW

EMPLOYER PROFILEAtkins (WS Atkins PLC) is the UK's largest engineering and design consultancy and the world's 11th largest design firm. They employ over 18,500 employees generating a turnover of 1.4 billion. Atkins is a member of the FTSE 250 and is the highest fee earner of all UK engineering consultancies.

OFFICE PROFILEMultidisciplinary Design Office with a wide range of technical expertise. Atkins Whitehaven has the capability to deliver a comprehensive range of engineering solutions to problems from its office in Westlakes. These include mechanical design, structural design & assessment and environmental engineering. Significant investment in development with an excellent graduate & apprenticeship scheme in place.

ROLE During my time as part of the mechanical team within the Whitehaven office I spent time working on a number of large scale mechanical handling projects within the Nuclear industry. My role included supporting projects using a broad range of engineering skills. Tasks would include drafting, modelling, design substantiation and generating technical documents.

RESPONSIBILITIESI assisted with several designs and technical documents as part of Size Reduction and Wash Down Facility on Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd. Similarly I provided support, especially in the design and development phase of work, for EDF Energys AGR Transport Flask handling equipment.

NEW SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE GAINEDFrom having had the chance to work on a diverse amount of projects it has allowed me to better understand the various stages of the design process. I have also gained invaluable experience in dealing with clients, working with standards and feel proficient in a range of technical programs (AutoCAD, Solidworks, Mathcad, and Inventor).

FINAL THOUGHTSThe most rewarding part of the placement has been working within a dynamic team. Not only has it shown me how a business works together to deliver an objective but I have learnt a great deal from the more experienced individuals within the office. I also feelthat seeing how skills transferable from University, such as problem solving, are applied to real world engineering problems gives me a better appreciation of everything Ihave learnt in my studies.

as of October 2010

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