A week of work experience opportunity at Torridge District Council

Bideford College students have spent a week working alongside Torridge District Council officers for work experience.

The six spent time across different council departments including environmental protection and community safety, planning, economic development, revenues and benefits, food and safety, customer services, legal and at Northam Burrows.

It gave them an opportunity to understand the various roles necessary in the day to day running of the council and the wide range of work it does.

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The council also tailored placements to match students’ personal interests and career aspirations, ensuring they could spend part of their time in the areas that most inspired them.

Reflecting on the experience, one of the students said: “My week at Torridge District Council was really fun. Everyone was really friendly and I loved working with Environmental Protection and Economic Development because I found it really interesting and learnt a lot.”

Another added: “It gave me a good idea on what a real life working week would feel like and helped me realise what I would like about working in a place like the council.”

Sarah Ayres, head of people and customer focus at the council, said: “We were delighted to welcome students from Bideford College and support them as they take their first steps toward exploring future career options.

“We know that thinking about the future can feel daunting, which is why we encourage students to spend time with several different teams, helping them discover what interests them most and gain a clearer understanding of the opportunities within local government.

“Our ongoing relationship with the college is important to us, and through these placements we hope to inspire local young people and highlight the council as an employer of choice. We look forward to welcoming more students in the near future.”

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