At Milestone Infrastructure, we’re committed to attracting and developing the next generation of highly skilled, forward thinking and technically competent people.
Working with local colleges in the communities where we work, we offer supported internship placement opportunities on several of our contracts.
After highlighting her keen interest in outdoor activities, we were delighted to have Abs Fensome spend four months on our Hampshire Highways contract, through a supported internship placement, organised by Totton College.
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At the time of the placement starting, Abs was undertaking a General Studies course and was unsure on what direction to take in the future. We partnered Abs with Nicolle Cloete, our Depot Coordinator, as Nicolle could impart knowledge gained through a Leadership & Management apprenticeship she was undertaking.
Nicolle said: “After an initial period of identifying what Abs motivations and preferences were, I tailored her learning programme to enable her to develop transferrable skills for future employment. My own personal development benefited too, as I was able to apply methodologies I’d learned through my apprenticeship in a practical setting.
“Mentoring Abs was an incredible experience, it was a pleasure seeing her develop over the course of her time with us.”
Abs learnt a lot in the time spent with Nicole, saying: “When I started the supported internship placement with Milestone, I was unsure of how much I would enjoy the administrative side of things. I was surprised to find that the tasks I worked on with Nicolle were well suited to my interests.
“The site visits that I went on were brilliant, seeing how the highway network is managed has opened my eyes to a career that I had never considered before.”
Speaking on the experience Abs took away from the internship, Sharon Fern, Lead Job Coach for Totton College, said: “When Abs started, we were given a schedule of the hours she would work and what they were going to cover each week. This was very helpful with Abs’ autism in mind, as it allowed her to have some structure, which helped to reduce her anxiety.
“Abs had a wide range of experiences in her time with Milestone, which enabled Abs to feel like part of the workforce and understand more about the business she was working in. ”
After Abs completed her placement with us, we supported her in identifying other opportunities and guidance on job applications and interviews.
At Milestone we are committed to creating opportunities which allow us to explore initiatives like this, supporting the local community with a flexible approach towards delivering social value, particularly for those who face barriers in employment.
If you would like to find out more about opportunities with us, please click here.
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