Trust Alliance Group Pilot Intern Programme Success

At the beginning of July, Trust Alliance Group (TAG) welcomed a group of students and young professionals for an 11-week internship programme based at TAG’s Head Office in Daresbury Park, Warrington.

This pilot summer programme provided the interns with invaluable hands-on experience, whilst gaining insight and skills from across the organisation as they spent time with various departments, before presenting their group projects.

In addition to department rotations, the interns tackled ongoing projects, had weekly mentor meetings to share their experiences and got involved in some of TAG’s community volunteering projects;

• During a busy week of volunteering across local charities, supported by TAG, the interns helped at Room at the Inn, Mersey Forest and Warrington School Uniform Network shop.

• At Room at the Inn, a hostel for people experiencing homelessness, the interns worked hard to regenerate the serenity garden, providing new furniture and plants for the outdoor space in preparation for the centre’s fourth birthday party

• In their visit to Mersey Forest, they built on the fantastic woodland management work TAG colleagues have been helping with for the past two years. After spending an afternoon helping the site team at Mersey Forest, they presented the charity with a donation of tools and forestry equipment.

• They finished off their volunteering at the Warrington School Uniform Network shop, which is run in collaboration with Warrington Foodbank. Armed with a huge donation of items, the interns helped volunteers with sorting donations and assisting customers on a busy day before the start of the new term.

Overall, TAG provided over 120 hours of volunteering over the course of a week, and over £3,500 worth of colleague-funded donations were provided across the three charities.

The end of the pilot internship programme was celebrated with a formal graduation event at the Daresbury head office. During the graduation, the interns presented their group projects to colleagues and directors from TAG, sharing their ideas about future areas for improvement across the business, providing the business with a unique insight and perspective.

Commenting on the success of the pilot internship programme, Helen Meaden, Group People & Purpose Director, said; “It’s been a positive experience for all colleagues having our interns on-site over the summer. All applied themselves well across different business units, and the insight and information they provided will help improve the business and shape future programmes. We want to say a big thank you for the effort and commitment they’ve shown over the past 11 weeks.”

Reflecting on their time in the program, the interns described their experience as highly positive, with one stating, "This has been such a great experience and has given me real insight into what I'd like to do with my career." Another shared how their time in the legal department "affirmed my choice to study Law at university.”

Commenting on his personal growth throughout the program intern Caleb Palmer said: "I had a tremendous time, gaining confidence in an office environment, making new friends, and ultimately gaining a better understanding of the career path I want to follow."

TAG looks forward to building on the success of this pilot programme and continue to invest in developing young talent.