Work experience meets social media

This week, we were delighted to welcome seven students from local schools and colleges, including our partner school Ivybridge Community College, to Plessey for a week of work experience.

Throughout the week, the students experienced life across a wide range of departments, discovering how different teams work together to solve complex challenges and bring innovative technologies to life. From spending time in our cleanrooms and manufacturing areas to meeting colleagues from our business functions, they gained first-hand insight into the many careers that exist within a high-tech semiconductor business.

Rather than simply observing, the students were encouraged to ask questions, think critically and understand how every role contributes to our success. Whether discussing engineering challenges, exploring problem-solving techniques or learning how business functions support innovation, the week was designed to provide a genuine insight into working at Plessey.

The final challenge saw the students join our Marketing team to explore the importance of branding and social media. After learning about how organisations communicate effectively, they were tasked with creating their own social media post about their week.

The students were asked to define an audience and choose an objective before presenting their creative decisions back to the group. They explained the thinking behind their design choices, from the glowing text effect inspired by Plessey’s “into the light” brand theme to their choice of quotes and written copy. It wasn’t about producing a perfect replica of the Plessey brand – it was about understanding how brands communicate ideas and make creative decisions with purpose.

During the session, the students also learned about our three core values: Grow, Lead and Trust. Those values underpin everything we do at Plessey, and they were reflected in the confidence, curiosity and teamwork the students demonstrated throughout the week.

In the spirit of Trust, we’ve chosen to share the students’ social media graphic exactly as they created it. It represents their own interpretation of what they experienced during the week and serves as an authentic reminder that developing new skills is about learning, experimenting and having the confidence to present your ideas.

We’d like to thank all of the students for their enthusiasm, creativity and willingness to get involved, as well as our ambassadors across the business who gave their time to make the week such a valuable experience.

We’re proud to support the next generation of engineers, scientists and business professionals, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Ivybridge Community College to inspire future talent.