Career Ready Internships: Providing Value to DYW and Young People

In July 2023, the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) National Team had the pleasure of Molly joining our team for a four- week internship through the Career Ready programme. We’ve taken some time to reflect on the value of this experience for DYW as well as for Molly’s personal and professional growth. We’ve also reflected on what made this a successful internship for everyone involved.

Career Ready is a UK-based charity that bridges the gap between education and the workplace by offering young people valuable real-world work experiences. Through internships, mentoring, and masterclasses, Career Ready aims to equip students with the essential employability skills necessary for a successful future.  

Molly joined the DYW National Team at the end of June for her  internship. From the outset, Molly showed her passion for learning and her dedication to making the most of this experience. During her time with us, Molly was actively involved in various projects, each designed to provide her with a holistic understanding of DYW and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully.
 
One of Molly's key assignments was a research task focused on DYW and identifying influencers who could support the upcoming #NoWrongPath campaign. The project involved research and analysis, and Molly demonstrated an ability to gather insights and present them effectively. Her fresh perspective brought new ideas to the table, which are always welcomed in the DYW team!
 
Molly’s mentor through the Career Ready programme had this to say, ‘Overall, Molly brought a fantastic energy to her internship. Her willingness to learn and eagerness to contribute made a significant impact to the team and the projects Molly was working on. Her proactive attitude encouraged everyone to step up their game, and having a fresh set of eyes and a young person’s perspective on how DYW operates was a real boost for our team.
 
‘As an organisation dedicated to empowering young people, Molly’s internship allowed us to see the positive ripple effect of our work. By providing her with a meaningful internship experience, we’ve played a small part in shaping the future workforce, nurturing talent, and fostering a sense of purpose. Molly's growth and development during her internship reminded us of the importance of our work and the lasting impact we can have on young lives.’
 
Molly also benefited a lot from the internship. ‘My Career Ready internship with Developing the Young Workforce allowed me to work on many skills, such as confidence, communication, using new technology and much more. All are very valuable skills to have when entering the world of work, and they will stick with me in further education and future employment. During the internship, I completed projects for the team and joined in with meetings which allowed me to gain a great understanding of what working in an office is like and an insight to professional behaviours. I was also lucky enough to be working alongside a wonderful, friendly and understanding team; this instantly calmed all nerves I had before starting the internship.’
 
There is incredible value in providing young people with opportunities to bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application. DYW, in partnership with Career Ready and MCR Pathways, are hosting an information session at 9am, Thursday 10 August 2023 for organisations interested in learning more about how they can be involved in mentoring young people. To sign up or to find out more, just click on the link below. 
Mentoring Information Session
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What made this internship successful? 
Molly’s enthusiasm for all the projects and tasks she worked on is ultimately what made this a successful internship for all involved. There were a few things, however, which we think supported this to be such a positive experience. 

• Molly met with her mentor several times in the weeks leading up to the internship, and one of those meetings took place at DYW’s office on George Street, Edinburgh. This meant that finding the office was one less worry on day one! 
• The internship had a very structured first week and a lot more flexibility from week two onwards. We really wanted to support Molly to find her feet and become comfortable in her role during those first few days. The schedule for week one was meticulously planned to ensure that Molly had the time required to learn our systems, spend time with the team, understand the roles and responsibilities of DYW and the team members she would be working with, and to start to map out the projects she would work on during the internship. ​ ​By the end of the first week, Molly was comfortable with all the tools and systems the team uses, and she even completed one of the tasks which was assigned to her ahead of schedule! The structure that we set in the first few days gave Molly the confidence to set her own schedule in the following weeks. She prioritised her time, scheduled meetings, completed tasks to deadlines, reported back to colleagues and quickly settled into her role in the team. 
• We worked as a team. Each member of the DYW National Team set a project for Molly during her internship. This gave Molly experience of different jobs roles, different types of tasks and projects, and ultimately made it a well-rounded experience. Molly had access to the entire team for support with tasks, and it meant there was always someone she could turn to with any questions.  
• We focused on setting projects that Molly would be able to start and see through to the finish. There’s a lot of value in developing the skill of getting a piece of work over the finish line, and there’s also a lot of satisfaction that comes from that experience too. We made sure that Molly didn’t leave her internship with a lot of unfinished work, and by taking this approach it meant there was a good amount of time available in the final week to focus on CV development and interview preparation, using experiences that Molly gained from her internship. 
• We focused on outcomes, not the tasks. On day one, Molly and her mentor sat down to discuss what Molly wanted to get out of the internship. This was deliberately done before discussions took place about the various projects which Molly would be working on. We felt it was important that the tasks and projects set were aligned with the aims and goals that Molly had for the four weeks, and we were open to changing the tasks and projects she worked on if there were better ways for Molly to realise her goals. 
• We didn’t assume any prior knowledge, experience or skills. It’s not always easy to remember what it was like the very first time you stepped into a working environment. It can be daunting, and there are a lot of unknowns. We took time in that first week to learn more about Molly’s skillsets, and she also took time to learn about some things which were completely new for her. As a result, it really didn’t take long for Molly to get up to speed with the team and how we work.
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​​If you enjoyed this article, you can read more DYW-related news here. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date on the latest campaigns, such as #NoWrongPath. ​