Workwise at Westcoast: Nurturing the next generation of technology leaders

Westcoast’s commitment to supporting the next generation of technology leaders is in full swing with our innovative Workwise initiative. Throughout June, we’re hosting a series of workshops to provide invaluable work experience to students from local schools. This year marks the second iteration of Workwise and we’re building on the huge success of last year's programme.

How’s Workwise making an impact?

Hands-on experience: Over four days, students get an immersive look at what we do at Westcoast and what kind of opportunities there are in the industry. From our warehouse and sales to cybersecurity, finance and more, they gain firsthand experience across nearly every department.

Local collaboration: We partner with a growing number of local schools to ensure a diverse pool of participants at Workwise. This year, we’ve expanded to work with new schools that had heard about our successes from other schools. We also work closely with the Education Business Partnership (EBP) to help inspire students about jobs and roles in the technology sector.

Focused cohorts: We host two cohorts, one for Year 10 and one for Year 12, welcoming around 22 students each year. These group sizes allow us to provide more personalised attention and meaningful interactions with every participant.

Employee engagement: Workwise isn’t just beneficial for the students we’re hosting. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our employees across the business too, helping them develop their skills by presenting to and mentoring the students. This is helping us to champion a supportive and collaborative working environment where everyone can achieve their best.

What’s happening at Workwise this year?

Monday: Students receive a warm welcome from Chief Revenue Officer, Phil Bell, followed by a warehouse tour with Wayne Grigg (Warehouse Operations Manager) and an overview of our distribution activities.

Tuesday: David Cox (Azure Sales Manager Westcoast Cloud) introduces cloud computing, while Ash Watts (Accessories Commercial Director) and his team discuss our products and services. Sustainability is highlighted by Andrea Bowyer (Sustainability Lead).

Wednesday: Sales training with Tom Davies (Surface Sales Manager) and team, marketing strategies with Lucinda Mitchell (Corporate Programmes Marketing Manager) and team, as well as finance insights from George Woolley (Finance Director) and his team. IT and cybersecurity are covered by David Mold (Director of Cyber Security) and Karl Harris (CIO).

Thursday: Students spend time with various teams including sales, technology solutions, finance, cloud, marketing and sustainability. They also learn transferable skills and CV writing with Nimrah Amjed (HR) and Amy Hick (HR and Recruitment Specialist).

We’d like to thank our dedicated team at Westcoast who have worked tirelessly to create another educational and practical experience for the students. As we continue to grow and evolve, initiatives like Workwise remain at the heart of our mission. It’s how we’re doing our part to create a sustainable, innovative and inclusive future for the technology sector.

For more information about Workwise or for information on how Westcoast can support you, please contact your Account Manager.