The Historic Dockyard Chatham is home to three historic warships, museums, galleries, the Victorian Ropery and much more.
Since 2013, the Historic Dockyard Chatham has provided EP students with work experience placements in education, marketing, visitor operations, heritage, outreach and event planning!
The team has caught-up with a number of these reward winners to find out their thoughts on their time spent in the Dockyard.
George Croft (School of History) gained the opportunity to spend two-weeks in the Library and Archives team, where he gained a in-depth understanding of the heritage sector and archival work. He was tasked with activities such as auditing library collections, compiling databases and utilising specialist software – Vernon CMI.
“This experience gave me great insight into libraries and archives, which will be useful when applying for jobs in the sector. My increased understanding of databases and office work is hugely transferable and will no doubt come in handy in whatever career I pursue…Arguably the most significant skill I gained from my work experience was confidence in networking. During my work experience I was able to discuss my ambitions and career prospects with staff, gaining some useful advice along the way. I also gained a number of connections on my LinkedIn profile through my work experience, which will be useful in expanding my working network. My contact’s offer to provide me with a reference for job applications was also hugely helpful.”
Thomas Barry (School of History) also completed a placement focused on Archives and Collections and commented:
“The role has allowed me to gain confidence and required me to take the initiative with each day being different…from the work I have done, I now know what it is like to be an archivist, but more so, from watching Claire [Archive and Collections Care Officer] I’ve seen how the role can be varied and interesting.”
Katerine Bosworth (School of European Culture and Languages) undertook a 2-week placement in the Education and Learning Department, where she was required to work with groups of school children. Katherine is considering a career in teaching and this ultimately provided her with some invaluable experience. Her tasks included the creation of a families guide, a walking tour guide and setting-up a scavEnger hunt!
“I have enjoyed everything! It is fascinating to see how the Dockyard operates and targets different demographics, particularly children and families.”
This role was undertaken the year prior by Amy Hammett (School of European Culture and Languages) and she gained the chance to assist with the delivery of school workshops and tours, and by the end of the placement, she gained the opportunity to deliver her own rope-making workshop!
In the marketing team, Silvia Radossi (Kent Business School) gained the chance to undertake a range of activities, providing an insight into how tourist attractions are marketed to the general public. In particular, Silvia undertook website analysis, replied to Trip Advisor reviews, undertook market research and assessed the pricing structure.
“Overall this is a nice place to work, everyone is so friendly and I always look forward to going to work”