Confidence creator
As part of our ongoing series of blogs from throughout the business, we’ll continue to bring you stories from colleagues who are doing their bit right across the operation, on how things have changed during the current crisis.
Today, we hear from operations management graduate, Emily Priest, who arrived at Royal Mail in September last year on the graduate scheme and is currently based at Peterborough Mail Centre.
‘In December, before the pandemic really took off in the UK, as part of my project work, I created a partnership with Peterborough City College to offer students the opportunity to complete a work experience programme,’ said Emily.
‘Run by myself and my line manager, Leigh Bedwell, the partnership offered three students the chance to grow their skillset by working in various areas with Royal Mail, such as the enquiry office and manual parcels. The partnership is a brilliant opportunity to show the younger generation what Royal Mail is all about and inspire them for their future.
‘We ran the programme until March when the scale of the crisis meant that the students could no longer attend. We’re hoping to re-start the placements in September. During the time they were with us, we really saw the students’ confidence grow and we look forward to seeing them continue to flourish when they return. The feedback we have had from the college has been really positive and they are currently using our logo in their work experience promotions.
‘I started as a work area manager (WAM) when the lockdown began and since then, I have managed parcels on the early and night shifts. It has been a great way to learn as I’ve been thrown into the midst of things. It has also been quite challenging as I learn how to manage a team at the same time as keeping social distancing in place and being conscious of the staff and their wellbeing during these unprecedented times.
‘Lockdown has certainly been an interesting way to start my management training with Royal Mail. It has been amazing to see just how dedicated all the staff are and how they continue to do such a fantastic job under what can often be extreme circumstances.
‘I think the shift managers and WAMs do an excellent job at keeping morale up as well as putting in countless amounts of time and effort to ensure Royal Mail still operates to such a great standard. I have been really fortunate to have such a great support network in place at Peterborough Mail Centre and it has definitely been a memorable start to my career in the business!’
