Teamwork, problem solving, communication skills and time management are just a few of the skills that young people can learn and improve through a well-planned, busy and informative work experience placement.
We recently welcomed two students from the secondary school local to our HQ, The Weald Community School, for a week’s placement with a difference.
Charlotte Tomlinson and Holly Greenfield, both in Year 10, were set the challenge of planning an open day for their school utilising many of the services we provide. The week started with Charlotte and Holly developing ideas, which had to include a celebrity guest, a fun family game and highlight the many positive aspects of The Weald, all whilst ensuring they stuck to a budget.
They then worked with our PR department to develop press material that would be newsworthy for the local media, as well as create a social media campaign, radio advert and accompanying artwork.
Holly commented: “It’s been such a fun week, and great to get the chance to develop our own ideas and leave with examples showing what we’ve achieved. PMW’s office is a building I see all the time, but I had no idea that so much happened inside!”
Charlotte added: “We’re both interested in future careers in marketing and the media, so thanks to everyone at PMW for helping us experience so many different aspects. I really enjoyed the planning stages and being able to get creative with different ideas, then seeing it all come together.”
Peter Sutton, our MD, said: “Many of our team had really negative work placements when they were at school, so we’re all committed to ensuring the young people who come here for our July placement get to have a real experience of everything we do. We pride ourselves on our creativity, so as soon as students step through the door they are encouraged to focus on originality.
“It was a pleasure having Charlotte and Holly join us for the week. They came up with some fantastic ideas and we’re pleased they enjoyed their time learning about what we do. We do have staff who initially came to us via work placements and internships, so we may see Charlotte or Holly again in the future!”
