Local government offers a wide range of diverse jobs which contribute to the local community and make a real difference to people’s lives. An ideal way to find out more about working in local government is to undertake a short work experience placement with your local Council.

Work experience introduces young people to the world of work and is a valuable and essential part of their education. It provides them with an ideal opportunity to find out what types of job they could do, to learn new things and to gain useful experience.

We provide work experience opportunities in a wide range of work areas for students in year 10 or above, or others who live or study in borough of Ashford.

We offer one to two-week placements in a variety of areas such as:

• Planning
• Leisure
• Housing
• ICT

Work experience placements are unpaid and can include:

• Job shadowing (following an officer while he/she carries out their work, often off-site, to get an idea of the job they do)
• Helping out with all aspects of a department while learning how things work
• Taking part in a specific project

There are two ways to apply for a work experience placement:

• You can contact us directly by sending us a short CV and a personal statement that tells us what you are studying and the type of work you are interested in
• By speaking to your school’s work experience coordinator who will contact us on your behalf (we will still need to see your CV and personal statement)

If you have any questions about work experience opportunities at Ashford Borough Council or would like to arrange a placement, please contact Clare Ricketts on 01233 330400 or email clare.ricketts@ashford.gov.uk

To find out more about the wide range of careers in local government visit the local government careers website.