Cata’s Week of Work Experience

I spent one week at Bristol City Council completing their work experience programme and it was very exciting all the way through!

As soon as I saw the offer online, I applied. I got a very quick response letting me know all the possibilities and from there all went fast and smooth. I have now finished my experience within the participation team and it was great to meet the staff and people from other departments.

First of all, I met Intisar on Monday morning. She guided me through the protocol at Bristol City Hall then I had the WEX Induction. I was provided with all the tools I needed such as a laptop and notebook to make notes. I watched a video about BCC and what the organisation is about and its aims for the city. I was shocked by some of the statistics and some of the things I assumed that were wrong.

We talked about confidentiality as a key requirement for the organisation; BCC holds lots of sensitive information that demands thoughtful treatment.

After amending all the laptop settings and technical requests, I could then start the E Leaning plan. Intisar also gave me a tour in the building and introduced me with some of the team.

After lunch, I met Tiffany who is in charge of apprenticeships. She explained the options I had and how to access them. I was then introduced to Delyse and Mirka. Mirka works with data and processing information. She explained that not only does she manage information on the system but she also contacts students, the public and other teams who send out information to be processed.

It was interesting to see how everything gets compiled in real life but not just in theory. For me, someone who has limited office experience, it was amazing to see how data gets used for various things. I didn’t know that it can be used to inform and prioritise what a person, city or country might need in terms of support. I found it fascinating.

Along my WEX placement, I also met Karima who works with the participation team. She is a contact worker with young people 16 to 18 year olds who are not currently in education, employment or training. She explained her job and we went through a few calls together. I learnt how this information is handled and processed and then sent to the next stage to keep track of young people on regular bases. They then send an update every 6 months. They also make calls to reassure young people and offer them access and support towards education and employment.

On the morning of my third day, I met Margz who is a work coach for National Carers Service. It was useful to understand how they help young people to understand what experience they need and how to make decisions based on their interests. It’s much harder than I thought.

Another part of my WEX placement was to update the website, as well as track 16 to 18 year olds with another team member to find out what they are up to and if they need any support along their way.

I also met other members of staff, such as Leticia, who recently joined the team and talked about her experiences within different roles with BCC. It gave me an understanding of different possibilities of employment and allowed me to get a picture of how the organisation supports people to develop.

I found it amazing to be part of this brilliant team and have the opportunity to shadow them, their principles, their aims, and their goals. It gave me a better understanding of the city, the country and how the Government is organised and structured.

I am very grateful that I was able explore what working in the participation team is like. I would like to say thanks to the department for their time, patience and general support to make the week possible.

Cata