Summer internships at The Wharf
This summer, ELBA, in partnership with Canary Wharf Group, provided the opportunity for six young people between the ages of 16-19 to secure a paid 4-week internship in the heart of Canary Wharf.
The internships provided a fantastic opportunity for young people to gain experience, develop skills in preparation for the future, and widen their career aspirations, with a variety of placements ranging from Accounts and HR to Strategy and Health and Safety.
Before our interns returned to school, college or started university, we caught up with them to hear about their experiences.
Why did you apply for the internship?
Ollieur: “I applied for the internship because I wanted to gain experience in a fast-paced business environment so that my transition from A levels to work would be a smoother one.”
Becky: “I applied for the internship at the Canary Wharf Group due to it being an amazing opportunity for my particular career path in finance.”
Kyle: “Not only did I want to get my foot in the door of the working world, I wanted to get a glimpse of how the different aspects of Law can be applied to a major institution, like Canary Wharf Group.”
Samuel: “I applied for the internship to implement skills that I have learned from school such as time management, teamwork etc. and also to build my confidence.”
What was your biggest achievement during your internship?
Ollieur: “I think my biggest achievement was helping to prepare a strategy note with the goal of securing funding from an upcoming budget. It was very satisfying to go from having absolutely no clue about how these kinds of things were achieved, to having a tangible plan with actual steps going from where we are now to where we wanted to be.”
Kyle: “One thing I’m proud of achieving, is my Fire Marshall training certificate which entails being able to identify areas of ignition, how to formally deal with different types of fires and to identify areas that can be a hazard in a fire; including the obstructions and proper maintenance of fire exits and fire doors. A more personal achievement, is increased self-confidence. ”
Becky: “In my four weeks with the company, I took part as an assistant for the accounts team. Some of my daily tasks included organizing payments and updating and checking crucial data. One of my biggest achievements was definitely gaining the confidence to make mistakes and ask questions, which is something I was never too good at before.”
Samuel: “My biggest achievement was doing a presentation in front of professional people which was certainly something I wouldn’t do before the internship.”
What are your plans for the future?
Ollieur: “My current plans are to finish studying my A Levels and continue volunteering for my local organisations. After that I aim to apply for the KPMG 360 apprenticeship.”
Kyle: “I’m going into my last year of sixth form and I intend to proceed to study Corporate Law at university. I’ll continue to take advantage of the opportunities that ELBA provides, not only to consolidate my experience, but to help present myself to the next educational and institutional step.”
Samuel: “My plan for the future is to go to university this year and study International Business and Economics, and hopefully secure more internships.”
Becky: “For the next year I will be continuing my studies in sixth form, studying Maths, Geography and Biology, then after that I will hopefully be entering the corporate world myself and will become an apprentice in accountancy.”
Lastly, some parting words of wisdom from four of our interns, for young people interested in pursuing a career in the corporate world. Becky, Accounts Assistant Intern said:
“Asking questions and making mistakes isn’t something you should be afraid of.”
While Kyle, Health and Safety Intern, and Ollieur, Strategy Intern, respectively, gave the following advice:
“Create a plan of how to carry out your work efficiently…prioritising longer tasks to ensure they’re completed thoroughly and leaving shorter tasks until the end will make your work experience much easier.”
“Have confidence in your abilities and showcase it.”
And final words of wisdom from Samuel, an intern at East London Business Place:
“Working in a corporate business environment is much more than sitting at a desk. There are daily challenges each and every single day that makes working entertaining and less tedious.”
ELBA is proud of its track record in connecting local talent to opportunities via our links to Canary Wharf and the City.
If you are interested in receiving support from ELBA’s Employment Programmes, contact employment@elba-1.org.uk.
