My work experience at Cheshire East Council

 By Richard

Why choose Cheshire East Council?

If you are wondering where to go for your work experience, I highly recommend Cheshire East Council. I didn't just sit and watch people work. I got to do real tasks that actually helped the team. During my week here, I helped fix the public website, sorted out files to keep everything tidy, and even built this exact web page all by myself. It was a fantastic way to see behind the scenes and learn how a real team works together to get things done every day. If you want to learn useful skills and see how a big workplace runs, this is a brilliant place to be.

My experience

Monday

The team gave me a warm welcome and a tour of the office, which helped me settle in quickly. I spent the week working with the web staff who look after the Cheshire East website. It was interesting to see the professional tools they rely on every day to keep the site running well for the public.

They started by showing me Silktide. This tool automatically scans websites to find any problems. It points out things like broken links, spelling mistakes, or accessibility issues that could make the site hard for some people to use. It gives the team a score, which makes it much easier to decide which pages need to be fixed first.

Next, I got a look at Contensis. This is the main system the team uses to manage all the website content. They showed me how they use it to build new pages and update information. It was clear that this is how they make sure the website always has the most recent and correct details.

Finally, they showed me how they use Google Analytics to look at real data. It was fascinating to see how they track which pages people visit most often and where they might be having trouble. By looking at this data, the team can see exactly what is working well and which parts of the website need to be updated to make things easier for everyone.

Tuesday

On my second day, the team gave me a task to help improve the council website. I spent time comparing different sites to see what was working well and what needed fixing. It was interesting to look at the site from a user’s perspective, rather than just as someone who visits it for information.

I spent a good part of the day researching what people usually come to the council website for, like checking bin collections or school dates. This research is important because it helps the team decide which information should be the easiest to find on the home page.

After that, I was shown how "customer journeys" work. This is basically the path a person takes on the website to get something done. They showed me how they can change the layout and the way the pages link together to make this journey smoother. It was a real eye-opener to see how much thought goes into making the website simple and helpful for everyone in the community.

Wednesday

I spent the day focusing on website quality and maintenance. I worked through a list of technical fixes to make sure the site runs correctly for the public. A big part of my day involved checking the text for spelling errors, so the website remains looking professional. I also spent time updating the time format across the site to match the council's new standard. I carefully went through the pages to ensure all the times were formatted correctly and the information stayed consistent for the users.

Thursday

On my fourth day, I spent my time helping the team out with some smaller tasks. My main job for the day was to look through the system and find old folders and files that were not needed any more. I went through these files and deleted them to clear them out. After that, I helped with the organisation of the files that were left. I spent time sorting through them and making sure everything was put into the right place, so the system was neat and organised.

Friday

On my final day, I spent my time working on a personal project. I got to build my own page on the Cheshire East website to talk about my time and the work experience I did there. This was a really great experience because it gave me the chance to see exactly how web pages are made from start to finish. It was also wonderful to see how a team works together every day and how things are managed to keep everything running smoothly. Working on this project really helped me understand how useful web pages are for sharing information and helping people.

How can you apply for work experience?

If reading this makes you want to do your work experience at Cheshire East Council, applying is easy! You just need to plan ahead. You can apply if you live in the Cheshire East area or if you go to school here. Because lots of students want to join, the council only takes applications twice a year. The first time to apply is between the 1st of February and the 31st of March. The second time is between the 1st of October and the 30th of November. When it is time to apply, just go to the jobs and careers section on the Cheshire East Council website to find the form. If you miss these dates, you will have to wait for the next time, so it is a good idea to mark it on your calendar.