Community History Month

To celebrate Community History Month, Laura Carmichael, Roadside Assistance Programme Manager Mercedes-Benz Cars, explains how colleagues can give back to the community by supporting Worktree.?

What is Worktree??

“I’m part of the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) group and ‘as part of that I’m working with a Milton Keynes based charity called Worktree. Worktree supports young people and schools around Milton Keynes by providing them with the opportunity to connect with employers.?

“All colleagues can sign up and volunteer their time to attend virtual Q&A sessions with Worktree via MS Teams, where students can ask questions about their jobs and career journeys.”?

What are the benefits of a Worktree session??

“The students get an honest insight into different businesses and careers that they wouldn’t always get from teachers and parents, as well as gaining new perspectives about different career journeys. Both colleagues and students get the chance to work on being concise and articulate whilst also thinking on their feet and learning how to frame their questions and answers. It even teaches students what NOT to ask – something that can be really beneficial in an interview!” ?

What can be expected from a session??

“Sessions are generally tailored to specific year groups in secondary schools who require different needs and knowledge, whether it’s students who are about to take GCSEs or students who are about to leave school and are thinking about their next steps.?

“Sessions are facilitated by Worktree representatives – colleagues are asked to introduce themselves and explain what they do within their role. Responsibility is then handed over to students to ask questions. Worktree generally don’t want the sessions to be too formatted, so they sometimes change things up. There’s often a quickfire round where students get to ask direct questions to individuals – colleagues only have 20 seconds to answer which is a real challenge, getting them to think on their feet!”?

Why is it important for Mercedes-Benz to be involved in initiatives like this??

“By being involved with Worktree, Mercedes-Benz are able to give back to the community in a unique way. It’s something that we can get a real sense of purpose from and generally it’s just really nice to hear what other people and other employers are doing It’s also a great opportunity to inspire the younger generations.”