Barre Ali
Barre Ali started at The University of Northampton in 2007 and undertook a placement at Cosworth Engineering through the Northampton Engineering Training Partnership (NETP) from 2008 to 2009.
Work placement for me has been an immense and valuable experience simply because it provided me with a platform to gain the relevant skills, understanding, and technical capacity necessary to cope with the demands of tomorrow's employer. I feel that I have been able to make an important contribution to the efforts of the NETP, who have made this placement possible through their co-ordination and management of this exercise for over 20 years.
I believe that the work placement experience has facilitated, improved and developed aspects of my professional persona such as punctuality, responsibility, awareness of workplace culture and team work which are all vital in any organisation. I have been able to learn a lot while at the same time contributing to the requirements of the employer. The whole work placement experience was like a bridge between scientific theory that I gained at the University and practical knowledge required at the workplace.
Since completing a year's work placement at Cosworth Engineering, my confidence has developed incredibly and my focus on a future career has been sharper. The whole experience was an eye opener as it equipped me with an opportunity to look at the industrial work in a range of perspectives.
The other good thing about NETP placement programme is the provision of a dedicated monitor who oversees students' progress while at the same time listening to any issues that students experience (good or otherwise) while they are at work. I am very glad and pleased that I have had to work with Mrs Tricia Goodchild who has been a godsend in as far as the support and advice she provided me with during the whole period of my placement year. Also, the programme has Mr Daniel Bailey as the manager who (I am sure many current as well as forthcoming placement students would agree with me) is a capable, competent and friendly lecturer who will go the extra mile in helping his students.
All in all I believe that the work placement for me has been an experience that will help me kick-start my ambitions for a career in engineering because it has equipped me with the necessary tools and knowledge that such a future career may demand.
NETP Award:
A big thank you to the NETP and all my lecturers and staff involved in the contribution to my academic and industrial skills. I was awarded a certificate for academic achievement in the second year of studies. This, I believe, has been made possible by the self assurance and confidence as well as understanding that I gained through the knowledge provided by the University as well as the experience at the work placement. It has given me the motivation to work even harder and achieve great things in life. It is through the knowledge imparted upon us by the highly respected team of engineering lecturers that achieving such an accolade has been possible and it fills me with great pleasure that I have them around me in my quest to succeed in this course.
