Students from Westminster Academy’s Year 12 IBCP cohort were lucky enough to participate in the Career Ready Programme again last year.

A national social mobility programme, Career Ready partners students and employers in order to raise aspirations and level the career playing field for students from non-fee paying school backgrounds. 

A group of 15 Year 12 students were selected to be a part of Career Ready after multiple rounds of applications and interviews. The programme started with them being matched with their employer mentors ready for the year ahead. These employers join us from careers as varied as finance and banking, IT and telecommunications, engineering and surveying, alongside many more. Part of the Career Ready programme involves taking part in an internship with the employer that the student was matched with. Our students took part in these internships over the course of the summer, and spent up to eight weeks working in offices across London. 

Internship at British Land

One of our Career Ready students, Marrisa, was matched with British Land, and discusses her experiences on her internship below:

During the Career Ready programme, I had the amazing opportunity to do a paid internship for 4 weeks with British Land, which is a property investment company. It was an incredible experience that helped me gain a range of skills. I got to meet most of the team, work at my desk, and collaborate on a project to plan a development for 2030. While I didn't win, pitching ideas to a panel gave me insight into how things work in the corporate world. I also worked on a solo project, and my supervisor was so impressed with my ideas that she decided that she wanted to invest her budget in them. I shadowed the marketing team and even went on a trip to learn how CGI is used to engage customers. We had to compete in creating a piece and my team won. The experience allowed me to network, improve my LinkedIn profile, and get help with my CV. I also got to visit the company's buildings and see some of their ongoing projects. One of the big things I learnt about was social enterprise and sustainability, I saw how important it was for businesses to consider their environmental impact and support local communities and businesses. Overall, this was an unforgettable experience that has given me key skills to use in the future. 

Internship at Mitie

Another of our students, Raheek Miah, also took part in an internship, with Mitie. His video really gives you a taste of the experience. He was also asked to create a journal outlining his time being a Project Manager with the company:

What I did during my internship

I spent a lot of time shadowing various project managers, observing their daily routines, attending meetings, and learning how they coordinated tasks and worked with different departments to keep projects on track. I attended different types of meetings during my internship. For example, I joined a meeting where a business proposed new software to the company. I also observed how a project manager discussed project details and participated in a scaffolding awareness training session. These experiences taught me a lot about how important communication, teamwork, and decision-making are in project management.

Site Visits

Towards the end of my internship, I had the opportunity to shadow project managers during site visits to locations such as Victoria and Belgravia. I watched as they documented project progress by taking photos and gained valuable insights into the hands-on aspects of project management. During these visits, I also learned about health and safety regulations and the importance of using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Conclusions:

Overall I'd encourage other students to pursue similar internships. The practical experience and professional growth that you gain is very valuable. For those interested in applying for internships at Mitie or similar companies, I highly recommend taking the opportunity.

 

Every year, our students not only enjoy their time with Career Ready, but also find it an invaluable tool in thinking about the steps they might take after their Sixth Form journey!

Ms Kaye, Careers and UCAS Lead