My Student Placement at LJLA

Since starting my placement I have learnt a lot of things about how to work with external organisations, manage website content and I have mentored a variety of young people and help them through Traineeship programmes. I’ve become a mentor and a reading buddy in a local high school, I go weekly to give advice to people doing their GCSE’s and hear pupils read. I’ve learnt how to write articles for a magazine that’s going to be published to all Airport staff and how to make it something that every one of them wants to read.

I’ve learnt how to answer (and I’ve asked) plenty of bizarre questions.

I know how to decide, produce and promote various campaigns that encourage colleagues using their time in the local community. I can then calculate how the hours we donate to the community can be turned into social value which fits in the airport CSR strategy and overall Our Responsibility To You campaign.

But also how to squirt a hose on top of a fire engine and put a fire out on a training rig. I know how many Christmas puddings I can fit into one crate and then donate to the foodbank, as well as a van full of other food. I’ve judged the best Christmas jumper competition when I had over 150 to pick from, but I had help judging from Father Christmas.

I’ve learnt how to get 89 Airport staff to sing The 12 Days of Christmas including 9 Fire Fighters, 2 Airport Chaplin’s and the CEO. That video was then put onto our Facebook page and has over 2400 views.

I’ve taken Guide Dogs through security and watched whilst they were being trained how to get on to a plane.

I can confidently say that I managed to get 167 tiny cupcakes carefully through security and handed them out to passengers with only seven minutes to go before a plane took off (you’re welcome passengers on the 10 year Ryan Air Anniversary Flight).

Going forward into the world of work I am going to be able to build relationships with internal colleagues and external companies. Upload and manage website content and social media interaction. I’m going to be able to work autonomously in a busy environment and launch initiatives to people I don’t know. I’m going to be able to say that I made a difference to the airports Social Value amount by collecting donations for the foodbank, working with local schools and launching and promoting campaigns to people all around the business.

And In case you are wondering- I can get 27 Christmas puddings in a crate.

If you would like to apply for the Community and CSR Student Placement next year, click here.