Callum writes:
I have just completed my week of work experience at VGC’s head office in Ruislip.
I was lucky enough to work with and learn from most of the various departments which make up this company. I have now learnt from the marketing, recruitment, IT, projects and payroll departments as well as the health and safety team.
This week has been very useful in showing all the different jobs to me and giving me a taste of work in an office environment. This experience has also developed necessary skills for the workplace like being personable, responsible and independent.
During this week I have:
- Learnt about the process of tenders and the planning of a project.
- Created a poster about mental health awareness and what to do in the workplace.
- Set up a laptop with the software needed in this office and learnt about the programs run and maintained by the IT team.
- Learnt about the labour solutions for trades, labour and technical people. I made an advertisement and helped to update the database, by phoning and asking for updated CVs from registered workers.
- Learnt about the company’s marketing strategies, and helped in the marketing department.
- Been taught about the training and checks that are carried out for every person who drives one of the Cole Hire vehicles.
- Learnt about the HSQE department and saw the site reports which are sent in.
- Made a CVR (cost value report) for a project, populating the spreadsheets, updating the photos and writing a conclusion.
- Visited the HS2 site at Euston. This is where they are demolishing buildings and making space for the platforms and portal ready for the high-speed trains. I found out all about the paths into civil engineering and the structure of people which is in place on site. This gave me valuable insight into life on site and helped me to think more about my future.
My supervisor was Kimberley McGinty, VGC’s skills and employment adviser. She so kindly organised and helped me during this experience. Before this, I knew that I wanted to become an engineer, but I had no idea what really went on in an engineering company. Now I do know, and this has given me more of an idea as to what I want to do when I am older.
Before I was lucky enough to gain this placement, I had been phoning round engineering companies, trying to sort an experience. I couldn’t. When the work experience coordinator, Mrs Chandarana, offered me this place I jumped at the chance. It sounded much more interesting than working at a supermarket – and it was.
Blog written by Callum Handley, year 10, Bishop Ramsey school
