My Week with Suffolk Economy: Eliza’s Work Experience Reflections

Earlier this month, we welcomed Eliza to the Suffolk Economy team for a week of work experience. Work experience is a vital opportunity for young people to familiarise themselves with the working world, and offering high-quality placements is a great way for businesses to encourage the next generation of talent to consider – and feel prepared for – careers within their sector.

We asked Eliza to tell us what she thought about the experience, what she learned and how it has helped her think about her future.

My Week at Suffolk Economy 

Eliza, a student at Castle Manor Academy

During my week at Suffolk Economy, I took part in several activities, got taught things I didn’t know, and got to do a lot of my own research involving this sector.  In this blog, I will share my reflections of my work experience, including the skills and knowledge I have developed.  

On my first day, I got introduced to some people in this sector and my supervisor, Lisa, gave me a tour of the area I was located, including health and safety and what to do in case of any emergencies, which I found very useful and comforting as I knew everyone was looking out for me. Then, I got to partake in a meeting via Teams which I found interesting and informative as it gave me a real glimpse into what a real day in Suffolk County Council is like. Following this, it was lunch time which I really enjoyed. The cafe has a wide range of food, so I got to have something different every day, all very tasty! 

After that, I got to partake in some activities like business case studies, and reviewing the website. I really enjoyed this because doing work individually in an office seems boring, but it was actually very interesting and fun! 

Over the next few days, I got to learn about all different things I hadn’t ever heard of before and get to do experiences, including: 

• What a grant is and how it works (good insight and very interesting!) 

• How inward investment and infrastructure work 

• Reviewing intervention frameworks 

• Partaking in a Quantum Optics tour at Adastral Park. 

• Making a PowerPoint and being able to share my own research and opinions 

In conclusion, my work experience here with the Suffolk Economy team at Suffolk County Council has been very valuable to me as it has opened my eyes to a category of jobs I didn’t know much about and has broadened my horizons for careers I am considering.  From taking part in real-life meetings, reviewing real businesses, and developing new skills, I have gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to be in this industry and what a day-in-the-life of a worker here would include, branching my ideas and helping me decide what I want to do after school.