I’m back! I hope you’ve missed me… I’ve been away for a week in sunny Ibiza! Chairs in the office this week at downhamweb has been a slight shortage… why?
WORK EXPERIENCE WEEKS! 
We are pleased to welcome students Tabitha Fogarty and Sam Lance from Downham High School, to our fun working environment for the next two weeks. They’re here to give us their ideas on what they’ve already learned and to get to know what’s it like to work in the big wide world after leaving high school.
downhamweb and Lingo design are not the only businesses this week that have been blessed with help from students, the whole of Downham Market will be overwhelmed with the younger generation. Other work places such as Denver Primary V.C, Lloyds TSB, Fendle Farm, Sue Ryder and many more have really helped students gain experience and introduce them into a working environment.
So why is work experience important? Here are a few comments from Lingo Design manager & downhamweb founder Elizabeth Pendleton:
“It comes from my own personal experience, as my own work experience was very interesting…
I had a weeks work experience with Metropolitan Police in London and my 2nd week as a park ranger at Dartmoore National Park.” Liz later expressed “I think its incredibly valuable for students to see the real work environment, potentially in an industry they re interested in.”
As local businesswoman and employer, Liz Pendleton believes “students should be helped more and as an employer I think it’s important, as students bring new ideas and creativity to the work place which not only helps us, but also helps them.”
Speaking from a personal point of view, I gained a part time job from work experience which gave me the opportunity to work in a hairdressers for the summer. This was a bonus as it saved me from sitting on my bum all day in what we call our ‘english summer’ doing nothing.
Even though I’m not in the same job as I chose at High School and I’ve taken a completely different career path, it has still helped me gain life skills, meet different people and develop the type of person I am today.
It’s been a very crowded and busy office over the past two weeks, but hopefully also an enjoyable experience for students Tabitha and Sam.
