Chloe’s Journey: Building Confidence Through a Supported Internship

Chloe

Chloe Smith is a Supported Intern working with Cornwall Council in the Facilities team at New County Hall. Her role includes tasks that keep the building safe, clean, and welcoming.

Chloe carries out weekly tasks. One of these is fire alarm checks to make sure everything is working properly and the building is safe. She also tests the elevators to confirm they are reliable and running as they should. She checks the building for cleanliness and maintenance. This includes doing cleaning audits to keep the place tidy and presentable. If she notices anything broken or needing repair, she reports it so it can be fixed.

Chloe also helps on the reception desk. She welcomes visitors, giving them ID badges, and pointing them in the right direction. She sends messages to staff reminding them to collect their parcels and messages about building updates. Her job is to make sure everyone is well informed.

Chloe has been working at reception alongside Mandy and several other colleagues. They have been very supportive in showing her how tasks are carried out. Chloe enjoys working on reception and this has been a valuable learning experience and helped Chloe. This role has made Chloe step out of her comfort zone. She is still developing her confidence and communication skills and working on reception has helped her with this. Working in this environment has given her the chance to practice and improve in these areas.

She has also worked closely with Adi, the Facilities Manager. Chloe says she has enjoyed taking on the tasks Adi assigns. His instructions are always clear and easy to follow. Adi has been very encouraging, even taking the time to help Chloe with her CV. Chloe shared she appreciates his help. She values the trust he places in her by allowing her to complete certain jobs. He allows her to do this independently, and this has helped her build both skills and confidence.

Chloe’s favourite part about being a supported intern has been meeting lots of wonderful people. She has enjoyed working alongside all of the people on her course and the staff at the council.

“It has been a great experience learning from others and feeling part of the team. I’ve also really enjoyed being able to do things I never thought I would, such as working on reception. Although it was outside of my comfort zone at first, I’ve found it rewarding and enjoyable. It has given me the chance to build my confidence and improve my communication skills.” - Chloe

Chloe has learned a lot during her internship so far and she says the experience has helped her build confidence, improve her communication skills. It has given her a clear understanding of what it’s like to work in a professional environment.

“This internship has been a great opportunity to grow my confidence, strengthen my communication skills, and gain hands-on experience in workplace responsibilities such as building audits and compliance checks.”

This story was written by Aimee and Dom, Education Business Partnership Supported Interns.