This summer the council was delighted to welcome four students from Woodroffe School for their work experience placements.
This gave them the opportunity to discover the wide range of services that help keep the council, town and community running smoothly.
Year 10 students Henry Larcombe and Jason Riding joined the council’s external works team, spending the hottest week of the year helping to water hanging baskets and planters, maintain the war memorial in St George’s Square, polish brass plaques, repair barrier access points and assist with a variety of day-to-day maintenance tasks across the town.
Jason said, “I had a great week with the team. We did a lot of hands-on work, so I really enjoyed that. At first I was a bit nervous, but everyone made me feel very welcome.”
Henry added, “It’s been really varied, but I loved every minute of it. It was great to be doing something practical and understanding more about the work the council carries out every week.”
Meanwhile, Isobella Felstead and Joe Broome gained first-hand experience with the administrative team.
Throughout the week they supported reception duties, attended council meetings, completed administrative tasks and contributed to communications projects.
Isobella also attended the Boat Building Academy boat launch, capturing photographs and creating a social media reel before writing about her placement for the council blog.
Reflecting on her week, she said: “At the start I felt nervous, but with the help of the team I gradually became more confident. One of the most valuable experiences was seeing how people in an office interact and how everything works behind the scenes.”
Joe supported the team by answering telephone enquiries, assisting with front desk duties, attending committee meetings, producing draft minutes and writing an article promoting the Lyme Splash water polo event for LymeLiving. His humour also proved a hit with staff throughout the week.
The council was delighted to welcome all four students, who demonstrated enthusiasm, professionalism and a real willingness to learn. Work experience placements provide young people with valuable practical skills, build their confidence and offer insight into potential careers while giving the council an opportunity to inspire the next generation, whether they embark on careers in local government, or not, it was a pleasure to have them as part of the team.
We would like to thank Henry, Jason, Isobella and Joe for all their hard work and wish them every success for the future.