Would not recommend a job here...as any role
Pros
- Managers did not monitor you - this is also REALLY bad but I will get to that - Having "Graduate Engineer" on your CV will look good - Get an insight to a power plant (which I found interesting) - Promotes sustainability
Cons
- The Managers from the very top i.e MD to the very bottom (not going to hurt anyones feelings) couldn't care less about the graduates. The first week all 7 graduates that joined were lost with no directions, left with a company laptop, a company phone, a desk and that is all. - The most advance test given to the graduates was to create 3 power point presentation in the space in 6 months (like we didn't get that skill from our 3 years at university?) - Any skill I "gained" from the company was from myself and another colleague asking around to help other departments and partake in any projects or training that was going on - All 7 graduates complained about the lack of work given to us and the fact our engineering skills were not being utilised in the slightest - Communication was poor - pretty much every department had no idea our purpose as a graduate (makes sense because neither did Managers nor us!) -Nearing the 6 moths mark, the manager decided to sit all graduates down and tell us "You (6 graduates) are not working hard enough, not showing enough passion and must now do shift work (Nights and Days), sit a test, and complete two assignments; individually and as a group. This is all due within the next month. If you are not happy then you can go to HR and hand your notice in. If you do not pass the test we will have to reconsider your place here" - yup, LondonEnergy's MD. Now...I wouldn't mind having that all thrown at my face but maybe 5 months ago, when every graduate raised this issue with HR and the Managers directly, not used as a threat to sack us. - As the graduates were now on separate "shifts", we no longer could see each other as often therefore, the group assignment would have to be done outside of work. - Must I add, this company gives their shift engineers a shift allowance during their night work (i.e. 10pm - 6am or something?) but the graduates were not entitled to that - A timetable was given of months and training to be completed a the start, less that 20% were actually met such as LV and HV training. - The IT graduate left within the first month or two...she literally had NO management. Worse than the engineers. - 6/7 graduates left the company before the end of the year. Only 1 remained and he fits into the company perfectly. This may seem a lot but there is so much more to it I don't want to bore you. After one year in the company, they offered my colleague to be a crane driver...he has a degree, I'm pretty sure he had higher aspirations going in. "The values" ...I don't believe anyone truly believes in them. The no blame culture is for management. If you're anything less they will blame you and fire you. If you're reading this whilst employed as a current employed graduate, give a months notice and take the garden leave, you'll get snatched from another company in that month. On a final note, pretty sure I heard that the graduates were used to lower the tax the company has to pay. Hiring 6 graduates means they qualify as some sort of learning institute? Before hiring graduates managers need to decided where they want their graduates to be in a year, two or three. What roles do you want them to fill? Where can they go from their graduate programme? are they being trained efficiently to suit those roles?
