At Blackpool Food Bank, internship supervisor Hayley Medcalf saw students Hew and Konrad come out of their shells during a paid internship.
“The Career Ready programme seemed like a great way to show the work we do to a different audience, whilst providing them with a supportive learning environment,” says Hayley Medcalf, Operations Manager at the Blackpool Food Bank.
Over the summer, the charity welcomed two Career Ready students for paid internships, Hew and Konrad, with Hayley as their supervisor.
“From a personal point of view, the world of work was a huge adjustment for me when I started working full-time at 21.
“I loved the idea of giving college students a taste of what to expect when they enter the working world.”
Building experience
Hew and Konrad from Blackpool Sixth Form College experienced all aspects of the charity’s work.
“At Blackpool Food Bank, we distribute food to over 120 other groups and charities, which is a huge operation,” Hayley explained.
“We were keen for Hew and Konrad to see all aspects of what we do. During their first week, we made sure they each spent half a day with each team member and encouraged them to chat with our volunteers – we currently have 150 volunteers from all walks of life.
“From week two onwards, they spent half a day supporting our external charity functions (working with the Communications Lead, Food Sourcing Manager and so on) and the other half of the day supporting our day-to-day logistics.”
Coming out of their shells
Over the internship, Hew and Konrad became part of the team.
“Seeing Hew and Konrad come out of their shells and feel like part of the team was the most rewarding moment of the internships,” Hayley adds. “In our monthly team meeting, they were even contributing and asking questions, applying their skills from their A Level courses to the topics we discussed.”
“I hope that as a charity we’ve shown them that it’s really important that they love where they work. I think they also saw how important teamwork and a good company culture are to a productive workplace.”
Benefits for the organisation
While she’s seen Hew and Konrad build their skills and confidence, the internships have also brought benefits to Blackpool Food Bank.
“Being able to host these internships has linked in really well with our culture of growth and development and demonstrated this to the other businesses and organisations we work with,” Hayley explains.
“I must admit, prior to working with Career Ready, I was of the opinion that whilst internships are fantastic opportunities for the interns, they always gain far more from it than the employer does.
“This has absolutely not been the case with our interns. In our experience, they’ve had a fantastic worth ethic and, at the end of their four-week placements, we felt their absence.”
“This has also given me my first experience of mentoring and coaching. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a great mentor to learn from in my own personal career, and it’s something I’m keen to reciprocate.”
