Andrew Mitchell: Engineering Student 09-10

Benefits of YinI

I chose to do an Engineering YinI to give me real work experience, allowing me to develop practical skills and knowledge in metal work, which I can then relate to my university studies next year. Simultaneously YinI is helping me to decide if I have chosen the right university course and modules; which is definitely a good thing and it's shown that YinI students are much less likely to drop out of university.         

The YinI scheme has helped me mature and given me new life skills. My previous employment has simply been part time, so changing to a '9 to 5' where colleagues rely on your work being to the necessary standard was quite a culture shock.

Earning a real wage and being able to save for uni is another reason I chose a YinI plus having to pay board and contribute to bills has given me some perspective as to the costs of living.

Another great reason for YinI is meeting other students with the same mind set as you, and making work friends and contacts that will stay with you for years.

For me, a break from academic studies was just what was needed.  I felt the routine of lessons and homework had become monotonous and taking a year out allows you to take a break whilst developing your learning base.

Metal Spinners Group: The company

I started at Metal Spinners Group with no engineering experience and limited experience of metal spinning and work. The first week was an induction, introducing me to all the staff and discovering their roles in the company and discussing how their work effected me.

After the first week and training I got placed on some simple tasks. At first I was a bit frustrated with the lack of interesting assignments given to me, but it was to be expected as I had no previous training on how to operate CAD software and other programmes. After a couple of weeks I began starting my first projects and started to develop a sound knowledge of the various computer programmes. This allowed me to gradually undertake increasingly interesting work and now I'm well on my way to becoming a fully integrated engineer at Metal Spinners Group.

At Metal Spinners Group everyone has been really accommodating and tried to help me get as accustomed to full time work as quickly as possible.