Learning from us
Learning from the best, a group of Peterborough City College students have completed a truncated spell of work experience with Royal Mail – and have nothing but praise for their time with us, writes Peter Kirby.
In December 2019, as part of her project work, operations management graduate Emily Priest created a partnership with the college to offer students the opportunity to complete a work experience programme.
Three students – Callum, Kyle and Isha – took the chance to grow their skillset by working in various areas within Royal Mail. The initial programme ran until March when the Covid-19 pandemic meant the students could no longer attend.
Since then Emily, who is based at Cambridge Delivery Office, together with delivery line manager Leigh Bedwell, from Orton Southgate Delivery Office, and senior HR business partner, Kate Kirby-Bradshaw, have continued to work closely with the college helping the students with virtual work experience.
‘We gave the students a project pack where they were able to redesign a floorplan for a delivery office,’ said Emily. ‘We asked them to produce a health and safety document, as well as to explain how to keep people safe from Covid-19. We also designed a simplified poster pack for learners with additional needs, so they too could participate in the programme.’
So successful has the project been to date that Sally Elsom, progress, enterprise and employment coordinator at the college, emailed Emily to say: ‘Your support with providing a true insight into careers within Royal Mail started with Callum and Kyle, who decided to join you every Friday for an extended amount of time. They thoroughly enjoyed their experience and I feel if they had stayed on past Covid-19, they would have wanted to pursue employment with you.
‘You have made working with you a pleasure and it’s a breath of fresh air that you are so open- minded with the diversity of our learners. I am proud to be partnered with Royal Mail and to be working with such an honest, helpful, caring, and forward-thinking person. You are a true asset to Royal Mail, and I hope we can continue to build a long-lasting relationship providing more opportunities to our young people, who are our future.’
As part of National Careers Week, Callum and Kyle produced this video to say thank you.
‘It has been great to have the opportunity to continue this partnership and progress the work experience programme to allow for learners to still have a taste of what the world of work is like,’ added Emily.
‘Some of the project packs the students have produced are to an excellent standard and demonstrate critical thinking as well as consideration of Royal Mail and what our operation entails.’
