West Ham United Foundation is committed to supporting participants in the community to developing new skills and forging a career.
With National Careers Week running from 7-12 March, we are highlighting one of our newer programmes and how it can inspire young people to strive to be the best they can be – the Ignite Programme.
Head of Learning, Jesse Foyle, commented: “Here at the Foundation we are committed to providing career opportunities and guidance to those across the community, and we couldn’t do any of the fantastic work we do without partners and stakeholders who support our aims and values.
“We are so excited to be partnering with Paragon Communications to launch the Ignite Programme. This scheme will continue to see a huge influx of work experience to participants, and we are excited to see it develop over the future.”
Lee Bennett, Learning & Development Business Partner at Paragon Communications, explained: “Here at Paragon Communications, we are print and digital communication experts, working with major global brands to help connect them with their customers. If you live in the UK, it’s very likely that something we’ve produced lands on your doorstep or hits your inbox at least once a week.
“Paragon Customer Communications employs over 3,500 people across the UK and Ireland, and we are constantly looking at ways we can develop our people to be the best they can be. In particular, we are looking at how apprentices can help us grow and move our business in a different direction - which is why we have launched Paragon Ignite.
“The Paragon Ignite programme is open to everyone over the age of 18, and it starts with learners completing a ten-week paid rotation in one of our local offices. Currently, the ten-week programme will see participants experiencing a variety of different roles across various print specialisms, as well as fulfilment, warehousing, facilities, and engineering, which will allow them to experience Paragon firsthand, whilst also ensuring the role they apply for at the end of the programme is right for them.
“With that in mind, we were delighted to form a partnership with the West Ham United Foundation to promote the career opportunities we have at our largest site in Dagenham to those looking for work in the local area.
“All too often, you hear stories of youngsters looking for a break to gain some experience in a particular field, but they can’t get that opportunity because they have no experience or relevant qualifications. We want to break that perception and explore ways that we can provide opportunities for everyone looking for a break.
“People who successfully complete the ten-week rotation will be considered for a permanent role on the Ignite programme, and an opportunity to start studying towards an apprenticeship with the full support of Paragon.
Dave Reynolds, Paragon COO, added: “The idea of giving young people an opportunity to develop a multitude of skills in a real-life production environment is something I am very proud to support. They are the future of organisations like ours and we want to give them the best chance at a career.”
So, if you are looking for a new career or your first opportunity, please email [email protected]. For more information about Paragon Ignite, click here.