Students sign up for work experience at Homes for Haringey

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Young people are getting their first taste of life in the workplace by undertaking work experience stints at Homes for Haringey.

Recently two teenage students, Jamilla Johnson, 16, and Christian Hall- Ramsey, 17, each spent a week getting familiar with the work of the Asset Management department. During their placements, they also spent time shadowing the Executive Director of the Asset Management team, Ola Akinfe.

Their placements were a result of the initiative of partnership working between West Green & Bruce Grove Neighbourhood management team and Homes for Haringey.  It followed a special youth area assembly meeting for West Green and Bruce Grove held at the Bruce Grove Youth Centre in May. At the meeting director Ola Akinfe offered two youngsters work experience opportunities over the summer holidays.

Cllr Griffith, Area Assembly Chair, and Project Manager, Pauline Ehonjie from the West Green and Bruce Grove Neighbourhood Management selected the final two talented and enthusiastic young people.

Former St Thomas Moore pupil, Jamilla, said she had learnt a lot about the business over the week and described the experience as ‘real work’, ‘real life’.

The aspiring barrister, who likes to ‘argue a point’, and is studying for A levels in English, Politics, Sociology and History, added: “I did real work from typing letters to tenants to taking notes on an interview panel. I’m glad I choose the offices of Homes for Haringey as opposed to a retail shop for this experience.”

Despite ambitions for a career in sports management, part time New River sports coach and Leyton Sixth Form student, Christian Hall-Rasmsey, said he was ‘glad’ for the opportunity and to have ‘given it a try.’

“I learnt a lot of new skills, vocabulary and what acronyms such as KPIs stand for. It was interesting going on site consultation visits with project managers and the resident liaison officer and assisting the whole team with administrative tasks.”

As a result of the partnership between Neighbourhood Management and Homes for Haringey, a programme of work placement and shadowing opportunities will be available throughout the year across all of Homes for Haringey’s directorates.

This builds on the existing Homes for Haringey work experience placement programme for 14-16 year olds. Between January and July 2009, over 27 placements from nine Haringey schools and six neighbouring boroughs worked within Building Services. Similar placements will be arranged for the remaining Directors on the Executive Management team covering Finance, Repairs, and Housing Management.

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