A typical working day
Basically my role is to maintain the equipment and plant to ensure that we hit production targets, work in a safe manner and also preventative maintenance on all the equipment onsite. So just to prevent breakdowns and downtime.
Skills and qualifications
I’ve done a four-year advanced modern apprenticeship in mechanical / electrical principles, which involved a City and Guild level 2 and 3 in Maintenance Engineering. I’ve also done an NVQ level 2 and 3, also in Maintenance Engineering. For my higher qualifications I had to do an ONC and a High National Certificate in Manufacturing Engineering.
What do you like about your job?
The best thing about the job is the variation. No day is the same as the day before because we have a wide range of equipment on site and the problems that we have are different every day.
What training have you had?
I’ve been given many training courses – Rockwell training, which is an electrical qualification which helps you on the electrical side of problem solving. And we also get mechanical training from the contracting companies who supply the equipment, to help us through our problem solving and maintenance issues.
What is your career plan?
Within, between the next 5 to 10 years I’m looking to get up into management level because I want to further my career and I want a wider range of skills underneath my belt. I don’t want to move up into management too soon because I feel that I’m still quite young. I’m only 22, I still want to gain more experience first because I want to make the right decisions when I move up to management.
Why this company?
The way that Cadbury works and the way it looks after its employees I would say is second to none. I think the company would really support them through anything if they needed it to.