Michael
Former pupil at Meadow and DFN Project Search Intern 

Case Study document:   
DFN Project Search Case Study - Michael 

Hi, my name is Michael and I used to be a pupil at Meadow High School. I left in 2013 and studied at East Berkshire College for 3 years then joined the Project Search Internship program at the Marriott Heathrow. I have now been a member of the Conference and Banqueting Team at the Marriott for 5 years where I am a Food and Beverage Associate.

When I was at school I really liked getting to know the other pupils and my favorite lessons were Design Technology, ICT  and Food Technology. It was useful to learn how to operate the different machines and equipment and I think it's really helped me in my job where I have to be very organised and efficient.

I would definitely say that my confidence grew whilst I was at Meadow. I used to be nervous talking to and meeting new people but I really enjoy it now and it's a big part of my job.

I have very happy memories of the school residential trip to Devon. I absolutely loved all the activities and went twice. I remember canoeing was great fun and I got to know pupils I hadn't really mixed with before. I tried lots of new things including climbing and abseiling which looked scary. Everyone was so supportive though, it made it less scary and I just had a go at everything!

I also took part in some shows while I was at school and I especially remember Greasy Hair and The Wizard of Oz. I had to work hard and practiced my part for several weeks but it was worth it. Getting up on stage in front of all those people helped my confidence.

I'm so glad I took part in the Project Search program. It helped me develop lots of skills and the team at the Marriott were supportive however hard you found it to do something. We spent a small amount of time in the classroom but were mainly out on rotation learning the job with the help of the Marriott colleagues and the Project Search Team. Maxine was always there to help me and if I forgot what to do, she would find a way to make it easier for me to remember. 

I did a rotation in Conference and Banqueting and loved it, so when a permanent job opportunity came up, the Project Search Team helped me to apply for the post, prepared me for my interview and kept me calm on the day! They also helped me during my first year if there were parts of the job I was struggling with. Sometimes, if I was only shown something once I found it hard to remember exactly what to do but they would break it down for me in a way that helped me remember.

I think it's important to have a job, not only for the money, but also so I have something I like doing and am proud of. I like buying bits and pieces for my flat, buying nice clothes, going out for meals and my passion, trains and steam trains. I also make sure I can pay all my bills and my mortgage, none of which would be possible without a good job.