A Cumbrian student was given a lesson in politics this week during a dream work placement with the Member of Parliament for Copeland.
Supporting the Centre of Leadership Performance Dream Placement initiative for the second year, Trudy Harrison MP welcomed 16-year-old Cara Mattocks for a week’s work experience in her constituency office.
Supporting Mrs Harrison’s constituency office staff, Cara a Cumbrian school pupil, secured her placement with a strong application for the role and a keen interest in politics.
Mrs Harrison, said: “Cara is an incredibly bright young lady and extremely capable, handling a range of tasks and challenges confidently and efficiently. She was a pleasure to have in the office and a very welcome addition to my team.
“I commend the Centre of Leadership for providing these fantastic opportunities for young people to take part in a structured and focused scheme which gives them access to working with employers and to help them make decisions about their future careers.”
Cara who will be highlighting her week’s placement through a presentation at a showcase event ran by the Centre of Leadership Performance, said: “I really enjoyed my week working in the office of Trudy Harrison MP.
“The experience gave me a good insight into the career I want to pursue in the future. During the week I developed many leadership skills and my confidence grew massively. I would strongly recommend Dream Placement to other students around the whole of Cumbria.
Cara was able see how a Member of Parliament’s office works. In the course of a busy week, she assisted Mrs Harrison and her staff with research, administration and also attended a meeting with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and Barrow MP Simon Fell at FGH.
Centre for Leadership Performance Executive Director Sarah Glass said: “The Dream Placement week saw our talented young people having potentially life-changing experiences in their workplaces, and the feedback from students and their hosts has once again been hugely positive.
“The people they meet, the tasks they undertake and the leaders they interact with has proved to have a vital influence on our Dream Placement candidates.
“Our aim at CfLP is to develop Cumbria’s leaders for today and tomorrow, working in partnership and collaboration with businesses and organisations within the county. We all share a commitment to ensure that young people get the best possible career and personal development opportunities, and that they understand Cumbria offers a bright and positive future.”
