Higher Education Success for White Rose Academies Trust Industrial Placement Programme Individuals
2018 saw the introduction of the White Rose Academies Trust Internship Programme, enabling university students to work within the Trust’s central team during their Industrial Placement year.
The placement is an invaluable opportunity which immerses students into a professional working environment, enabling them to gain practical experience in their future career field before graduating from university.
Throughout the year, each Industrial Placement student learns about, and has significant impact on, a variety of specialist projects and improvements, supporting the future generation of students within the Trust to receive an outstanding education.
Emily Hare (from Leeds and attended Newcastle University), Mia McTighe (from Coventry and attended University of Leeds), Hannah Moore (from Dewsbury and attended Leeds Beckett University) and Amy Armstrong (from Leeds and attended Newcastle University) (photographed) celebrated as they graduated from university with first-class degrees following their industrial placement with the White Rose Academies Trust.
Emily Hare, Industrial Placement student in 2018 – 19 and now permanent Trust Project Lead, commented: “I had the most incredible three years in Newcastle studying and an outstanding time on my placement with the Trust, I am extremely grateful for the many opportunities I was given during the twelve months on placement, attending many meetings with the CEO and the Senior Team, really allowing me to understand the business in depth. My experiences gained whilst working with the Trust definitely helped me in achieving my First-Class degree. I am extremely honoured to now be working full-time with the Trust as Project Lead.”
“Dedicated teams of people”
Mia McTighe, Industrial Placement student in 2020 – 22, said: “Reflecting on my placement with the Trust brings such a huge sense of accomplishment, with everything I was given the opportunity to learn and work on in a short space of time. Besides the abundance of fun projects and big events I was lucky enough to work on, I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to develop in a professional environment surrounded by the most dedicated teams of people and teachers in each of the four academies. It was amazing to learn what goes on behind the scenes of a multi-academy Trust to ensure that the children are receiving the best possible education despite their background or any other challenges they may be facing in their life.”
The White Rose Academies Trust is committed to ensuring Good and Outstanding outcomes for all (currently) four academies, and the Trust Central Team, which the intern sits within, are devoted to making this a reality. While it is an operational role developing skills within the field of Business and Marketing, the students within the Trust are at the forefront of everything the team do, therefore this programme is an amazing opportunity to see how transformative a career in education truly is.
Amy Armstrong, Industrial Placement student in 2020 – 22 and now permanent Executive Assistant to Executive Principal/Trust Project Manager, commented: “During my industrial placement at the White Rose Academies Trust, I learned so much about the world of business and the education sector. I really enjoyed my placement and I would say it is one of the best things I have ever chosen to do. I gained so much confidence from doing a placement and developed so much, both personally and professionally. I cannot thank the Trust enough for the opportunity and the amazing experience they provided for me whilst I was on placement with them. The Central Trust Team and staff from all the academies are amazing people to work with and I am extremely thankful I got to do a placement at such an amazing organisation that cares so much for its staff. I loved working for the Trust and I am very grateful for the invaluable experience and skills I gained.”
Hannah Moore, Industrial Placement student of 2019 – 20 and now permanent Trust Project Manager said: “Throughout my internship with the Trust I worked across a number of business areas, this gave me the opportunity to apply my academic knowledge into a real business setting. I found on my return to university for my final year, that not only had my professional confidence grown hugely, but I was also able to relate my studies to my first-hand experiences within a business, which strengthened my academic writing.”
For more info visit: whiteroseacademies.org