Tavieon Spencer and Robiat Salako from Harris Garrard Academy in South London completed a four-week paid internship at Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) during the summer. Find out more about their first experiences of the workplace, and how it’s empowered them to reach their potential.
Tavieon and Robiat spent their summer internship at Charlton Athletic Community Trust in Eltham, South East London. They joined the team as coaches, working with young people to nurture their interest in football.
Coming into the workplace, Robiat felt unsure about herself and her abilities, something that quickly changed.
“Before my internship I lacked a lot of confidence – I couldn’t talk to people. Even when I started, I wouldn’t even really talk to the kids. But as I’ve progressed in my internship, I’m not just talking to people, I’m building bonds with the people I worked with and the kids we coached.”
The positive, friendly culture at CACT also helped both young people settle in and feel part of the team.
“We were both nervous at first but have to give the coaches here credit for why we fitted in so quickly – the team were really welcoming.” Tavieon
Building skills and confidence
Throughout their four weeks, Tavieon and Robiat helped run the Trust’s summer programme for young footballers between the ages of 4 and 15. Robiat got the chance to work with another coach who is also a Career Ready alumnus.
“During my first week I was mostly observing, but after I was familiar with how everything worked, I got to coach. I actually worked with another coach who graduated the Career Ready programme last year!”
Tavieon noticed the benefits of pushing himself to take part in the programme, and how he’s setting up his future.
“Putting myself in new situations where I can meet new people means I can network and build connections that might help me in the future.”
Their supervisor, Senior Football Development Officer Bradley Marshall, reflected on Robiat and Tavieon’s progress throughout their internships.
“Our Career Ready students are noticeably more motivated and proactive – they show real ambition and drive to learn and develop during their time with us.”
An insight into a new sector
Both Robiat and Tavieon want to work in sport, specifically in therapy and psychology, and hadn’t previously considered the charity sector. But after their experience at Charlton, both said they’d be interested in social impact roles.
“Before I started here, I thought Charlton was just a football team and that they didn’t have any ties to the community. But during my internship I had the opportunity to visit a youth centre and delivered a session to young people who’d experienced homelessness and just seeing how much of a boost one hour of sports gave them was really rewarding. It’s nice to see that they’re involved with the community and genuinely care.” Robiat
“My first experience of work has really opened my eyes, especially to the charity sector.” Tavieon
The confidence to take on what’s next
Looking towards their futures, both young people are more confident and motivated to reach their potential.
“Now I feel like yeah, I can do this. It’s made me realise that I didn’t need to be afraid in the first place. I’d feel confident in myself now going into any environment and talking to people and building my network.” Robiat
“Being in a professional environment like this has helped me network with plenty of different people, and develop my communication skills hugely, which I’ll take with me as I finish school and go to uni.” Tavieon
