Work Shadowing in Year 12 – Real Experience, Real Insight

The Met Office has been one of The Times 100 top graduate employers and is best known for its weather forecasts, but it also does other important work advising parliament on issues related to climate, agriculture and engineering and provides advice for dealing with emergencies such as floods or heavy snow. Max organised a placement in Exeter at the Met Office’s head- quarters. Working in the post-analysis office, analysing data and passing data on to be turned into real forecasts has offered an insight into a world leading organisation.  Max’s week focused on the role of Weather Apps and Social Media since technology is at the heart of all aspects of the work the Met do  – from science and forecasting to marketing and consultancy. The Met Office are keen to recruit graduates with a degree in Physics or Maths and who have strong computer skills. 

Liam Breakspear-Cox was invited down to London to be given a personal tour of Parliament by Kettering MP Philip Hollobone.  This has given him an insight into the workings of Parliament and how the debates and the work of the House of Commons is conducted.

Nuffield Research Placements provide 1000 students in the UK with an opportunity to work alongside professional scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. It is a hugely competitive programme so congratulations to Michael who was successfully accepted this year. Based at the University of Northampton Michael joined the Science and Technology department to undertake a project regarding programming and exploring the different way Robots can operate. 

Popular Media can be difficult to break into. KBA’s Rahiela has been working down in London for Soho Radio Station and will be giving us an update on her experiences for the Autumn newsletter.  This complements her work on the NCOP Journalism Traineeship Programme that Rahiela has undertaken with the University of Northampton.

As well as getting accepted for the NCOP funded graduate work experience during the summer, Leighton was successful in organising a work shadowing placement at Knights of Old, working in the HR department. He was kept busy organising induction days for new employees to the business, employees ‘uniform orders and working out employee hours worked in order to generate payslips – showing that the real world of work expects a host of skills and abilities from their employees.

Chloe secured herself a position in Tollers, a leading law firm with branches across the East Midlands. 
Chloe engaged in aspects of Family Law and Business La and was required to read through past cases to get a better idea of what Family and Succession Law involves. It was a great experience that opened her eyes to all aspects of law, from dispute resolution to looking at procedures regarding trusts and estates.  The staff were very supportive and gave her advice about what she should do, since she is aspiring to go into law as a career

Whilst some of KBA’s students are working closer to home, others have decided to get on a plane to more exotic locations to gain skills and confidence that will impress university tutors and future employers. Jayden has spent the week in Lisbon, Portgual, working for ArcticWind Solutions, an intelligence and investigation service. Jayden’s mentor,  was keen that Jayden used this experience to develop his confidence in terms of independent international travel but also to give him an insight into all aspects of the business, ranging from marketing, accounting, raising invoices, paying salaries and understanding different tax requirements across European countries. Jayden planned and set up conference calls for staff, took minutes during meetings and met with Executive Directors and the Directors of Media and Finance who have explained their different roles in such a large business. An incredible opportunity Jayden - well done!