Contributor: Rachael Duggan – Mears Group Plc |
Published: March 13, 2023
Rachael Duggan – Mears Group Plc
March 13, 2023
Bucking the trend for women in the trades, a young student develops ambitions for a career “at the tools” thanks to her internship at a repair and maintenance provider, Mears Group.
A chance conversation with a family friend led to 15-year-old Courtney Kiddell being chosen to intern at Mears Group’s Thurrock branch two days a week.
Courtney found full-time school challenging and was keen to gain more hands-on work experience. Her school agreed that a workplace internship could be beneficial for many reasons, and she began working at the Mears Group office in November last year.
Her responsibilities were primarily administration and planning and she has shown a particular aptitude for call handling; actively talk to customers and process inquiries.
Mentor Gary Luscombe, operations manager, said:
“Courtney excelled in her role, which has already translated into better grades in school. She takes full responsibility for whatever tasks she undertakes, has excellent understanding and is always asking for something to be done.”
Courtney said:
“It’s good to work for Mears – I’m treated more like an adult than a student and I enjoy the hands-on experience.”
Her work experience has been so positive that she has ambitions to join the Mears Apprenticeship program next September once she has completed her GCSEs. She has her sights set particularly on training as an electrician or plumber.
She is now scheduled to join some of the local electrical and plumbing workers to learn more about their future careers and learn in a safely supervised, multi-trade environment.
All three of the branch’s interns are now doing well in school; regular attendance and excellence in the workplace, supported by employees who are trained mentors. The school partnership has proven to be advantageous not only for the students, but also for the personal development and training of the mentors – internships are also planned at another school in the city.
The application window for Mears apprenticeships is from February to June each year. This ensures that the trainees are ready by August for the start of the academic year in September.
careers.mearsgroup.co.uk/apprenticeships
www.thehrdirector.com
https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/apprenticeships/young-role-model-inspiring-women-take-electrics-plumbing/
