My time as a work experience student at OAL
Why I chose to do work experience at OAL
Heading into my final year of sixth form, trying to determine what career path I want to go down is vital in helping me decide what my next steps are going to be, which is why finding a relevant work experience opportunity was very important to me. I chose to do my week of work experience at OAL as I am currently studying maths, chemistry and art at A-level and I wanted to look into careers that combine both maths and science. Engineering was a key area of interest for me and so when OAL came to my school to talk about what engineering involves, I was immediately drawn in.
Who is OAL?
OAL uses engineering to deliver solutions to key problems within the food manufacturing industry. They offer robotics, Steam Infusion technology and label and date code verification to help improve efficiency of production and to ensure compliance with codes of practice. OAL works with customers such as Bakkavor, Diageo and Heinz to help their factories run as smoothly as possible.
A week in the life of a work experience student at OAL
On the first day of my work experience, I was introduced to everyone and taken on a tour of the premises. I also spent time with the innovation department which was extremely interesting as I had the opportunity to see one of the robots in action and learn about the testing that goes into making these robots work. The following day I was taken on a trip to the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, where I saw an APRIL robot and was shown how this technology is used in the food industry.
“It was eye-opening to see how the topics I have learnt about at school are applied to real life situations.”
Seeing projects come to life
Project design was where I spent the day on Wednesday, learning about how mechanical and electrical drawings are produced and how vital these are in the running of factories. I took a particular interest in this department as I think it is fascinating that you can go from designing a part on your screen to seeing it be manufactured and used in real life.
An opportunity to delve into something new
The following days of my work experience were spent in project software, marketing and the OAL Connected department of the company, helping expose me to areas I didn’t know anything about and wouldn’t have found out about if it weren’t for this opportunity.
Why should you choose OAL for your work experience?
I would definitely recommend work experience at OAL to anyone who has an interest in engineering or doesn’t know what path to go down with their interest in science and maths. They provide an insight into engineering that you would never get to experience at school. Getting into contact with OAL was incredibly easy and they were very keen to have me for work experience, which I found extremely refreshing after struggling to find work experience in the past.
The people I met during my time at OAL were very helpful and knowledgeable, talking me through and explaining what they were doing even if they had important jobs to get on with themselves, which I greatly appreciated. I’d like to thank OAL for the experience they gave me and in helping me gain a clearer vision of what I would like to do with my future.