All in a day’s work for Percy Hedley student
North east student gains experience with our field team.
Zaid Ahmed at work
It’s all in a day’s work for a local student as he starts a work placement with the Environment Agency.
Zaid Ahmed, 19, who attends the Percy Hedley Foundation’s Specialist College, joined the team out in the field last week as they cleared and inspected water.
He will spend one day per week for six weeks with the Environment Agency, learning the ropes and gaining valuable work experience.
Zaid is fitting in nicely with field team members Trevor Dean and Barry Kelly, working on the Hartley Burn near Dinnington.
The college – based at Jesmond, Newcastle - is part of the Percy Hedley Foundation, a charity working to meet the needs of disabled people and their families.
The Environment Agency’s Ian Doughty, whose team is working with Zaid, said:
We’re delighted to have Zaid with us on a work placement – it’s a great opportunity for him to learn valuable skills and we value our ongoing relationship with the Percy Hedley Foundation.
Zaid has started working with the team to clear debris from the water and inspect the river – he seems to have really enjoyed it so far - and we look forward to him joining us in the coming weeks.
Kerry Routledge, Work Experience Coordinator at the Percy Hedley Foundation, added:
Working with the Environment Agency opens up a host of possibilities for our students and allows employers to gain an insight into how barriers in the workplace can be broken down. It’s a positive experience for everyone.
Zaid’s mum Shaheda said:
It all sounds wonderful, we are very pleased to hear Zaid is making good progress and grateful to the Environment Agency for providing such a valuable opportunity.
This is a wonderful opportunity to show encouragement to the public that the scheme works so well.
The Environment Agency has worked closely with the Percy Hedley Foundation over the years, offering work placements for students to gain valuable experience in the work place.