Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Ella, a Real-Life Water Wizard!

Ella has a very important job as a process operator at a water treatment plant. Here is what she does and why her job is so interesting:

• Turning Dirty Water Clean: Ella takes dirty water and turns it into sparkling clean water (called demineralised water). Her team also sends steam and gas to help other companies nearby.

• Big Pipes and Reservoirs: The water starts in huge lakes called reservoirs. It travels through loads of pipework to get to Ella’s factory so they can make it clean.

• Watching the Screens: Ella spends time in a special room monitoring things like water, steam, and nitrogen. She has a list of rules (standards), and she has to check that everything matches the list perfectly.

• Solving Puzzles: One of the main skills she uses is puzzle solving. If there is a problem, she goes out to fix it so that everything runs smoothly again. She has to stay very focused to make sure the computer screens match what is really happening outside.

Learning and Holidays

• Learning on the Job: Ella is an apprentice, which means she learns how to do the job while she is working. Her training lasts for 3 years.

• Cool Work Schedule: Ella works on a “shift pattern.” She works two days, then two nights, but then she gets four whole days off!. She says this is “absolutely brilliant” if you want to go on holidays.

• Passing the Test: She recently passed a big test called an “endpoint assessment” where she walked around with an expert to show them everything she had learned.

Why She Loves It

The best bit about her job is the sense of achievement. When Ella figures out a hard problem, she knows she worked hard to solve it, and it gives her a great story to tell when she goes home.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

What Does a Project Manager Do?

Here is an explanation of Glen’s job:

Imagine you want to build a treehouse. You need to decide what it will look like, choose which tree to use, and find people to build it. Glen explains that a project manager is the person who plans and organises all of these things to make sure the job gets done from start to finish.

What happens every day? Glen spends a typical week having meetings with lots of different people. He checks how their work is going, asks for updates, and helps them solve any problems that might stop them from finishing their tasks.

What skills do you need?

• Talking and Listening: Glen says that communication is a key skill. You need to be good at speaking to others, but you also need to listen well to understand what other people are thinking.

• Making Friends: If you are good at making friends and building relationships, that is very useful for this job.

• Planning: When Glen was at school, he was the person who loved organising trips and making lists of fun things to do.

Why is it a fun job? Glen says the best part of his job is meeting people from all walks of life, such as builders, engineers, and scientists. He loves helping them create new things. If you enjoy making plans and building new things, being a project manager might be a good job for you one day.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Zara, a Safety Superhero!

Zara has a very important job as a health and safety adviser for a company called Sembcorp. Her job is to make sure that everyone stays safe while they are at work.

Here is what Zara does in her day-to-day life:

• She explores: Zara doesn’t just sit at a desk all day; she gets to go out and visit big factories (called plants) and offices.

• She investigates: She walks around checking that all the work is being done safely and that everything is running smoothly.

• She helps people: Zara talks to the workers and gives them advice on how to stay safe. She says looking after employees and visitors is the only way a business can be successful.

What skills do you need to do this job?

• Chatting: Zara says the most important skill is communication. You need to be able to speak to lots of different people to let them know how important safety is.

• English: Because she has to write reports about what she sees, you need to focus on your English skills in school.

Fun Fact: Before she started keeping people safe, Zara used to be a travel agent! She loves her job now because it is fun to meet new people and learn new things every day.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Alison, the Storyteller

Alison has a really cool job called a Communications and PR Associate. This basically means she gets to be the storyteller for her company, Sembcorp.

Here is what she gets to do every day:

• She works like a journalist: When she hears about an interesting project at work, she writes stories about it. You might see her writing in the company newsletter, on social media, in newspapers, or on the website.

• She makes videos: Alison helps arrange video shoots and works with editors to put films together.

• She organises events: She helps plan big meetings and parties where everyone at the company can get together and celebrate.

Her Superpower: Making Tricky Things Simple The most important skill Alison uses is communication. Sometimes, the people at her company deal with very complicated and technical information. Alison’s job is to take those hard ideas and explain them in a way that is easy for everyone to understand.

When Alison was growing up, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. She loves her job now because she gets to learn new things every day. Even though she didn’t go to school for engineering, she can sit down with an engineer, ask them questions, and learn all about what they do. She gets to be creative and meet lots of different people she wouldn’t normally see.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Mia has a very special job called a hydrographic surveyor. This means she is responsible for measuring the river to see what is hiding underneath the water.

Here is what Mia does at work:

• She makes maps of the riverbed: Mia collects information to create charts (like maps) for the harbour office. She measures the depth of the water to find shallow areas or hidden objects that boats might crash into.

• She uses sound to see: To find these dangerous spots, Mia uses sonar equipment, which sends out sound waves to measure the water.

• She works on a boat and in an office: Mia spends half of her time out on a boat collecting data, and the other half inside an office checking her work to make sure it is perfect. She has to tell the Harbour Master if she finds any obstructions that could be dangerous for ships.

Mia says that good communication and teamwork are the skills she uses the most. Because the river can be a dangerous place, everyone on the boat has to talk to each other constantly. If they don’t work together, the boat could get stuck on the ground or hit something they want to avoid.

How Mia Got Her Cool Job

• Work Experience: Mia started by doing a “pre-apprenticeship” because she wanted to be an engineer. She did one week of work experience at a company called PD Ports.

• She Asked for It: After her week there, she knew she wanted to stay. She sent an email to the head office asking if she could work there.

• Apprenticeship: Even though this job is usually for people from the navy or offshore work, the company created a special apprentice role just for Mia and paid for her education.

Mia loves her job because every day is different depending on the weather, the tides, and the ships. She and her team work hard to get around these challenges, but they always have a good laugh 

Spark Tees Valley

Content from the web related to the topic to save you searching!

Spark Tees Valley

Being based in the Tees Valley it is inevitable that some of the focus of our resources are the River itself. Many local employers rely either directly on the River industry or are part of its supply chain. The resources linked here were largely funded by the largest private employer in the Tees Valley – PD Ports as part of their ongoing commitment to help people in their local community. Their track record of employing and developing local people is second to none.

Spark Tees Valley

Content from the web related to the topic to save you searching!

Spark Tees Valley

The invention of the railway was a pivotal moment in Human history with a legacy that is still very evident in today’s world. Use the resources below to find out more about the history, the technology and the people that made this happen. A fantastic base for a STEM project based on history.

Learn all about the S&DR with the resources below:

Click here to view the accessible version of this interactive content

The video below explores the links between social and technological change through the collection of locomotives at the Locomotion Museum in Shildon

And fancy a challenge?

Click the image for access

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Tom! Tom has a very cool job called an architectural technician.

Here is what his job is all about:

• He is a building detective: While architects come up with the big ideas for how a building looks, Tom figures out the “technical” part. He makes drawings that show how buildings are actually put together and what materials they are made of.

• He uses special computers: Instead of just using paper and pens, Tom uses a computer program called AutoCAD to make his designs.

• He goes on adventures: Tom doesn’t just sit at a desk; he also goes out to building sites to measure the land so he can draw plans of what is already there and show ideas for new things to build.

• He designs everything: He has worked on all sorts of things, from loft conversions (turning the space under a roof into a room) to houses and even big shopping centres.

How did he get this job? Tom went to a place called Middlesbrough College. At first, he studied something else, but he realised he really loved using drawing software. He then did an apprenticeship, which is a way to learn a job while you are working, and that is how he started designing.

Would you like this job? Tom says this job is perfect for people who like to solve problems in their heads. If you enjoy thinking about how things work rather than doing “practical” jobs like being a bricklayer or a roofer, you might love being an architectural technician!

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Hello! Meet Lizzy. She works as a management accountant.

You might imagine that an accountant just sits there counting piles of money all day, but Lizzy says that isn’t strictly true. Her job is actually to help businesses manage their money, make plans for the future, and solve tricky problems so they can hit their targets.

What does she do all day? Lizzy says every day is different, but she usually splits her time between two things:

• Focus Time: She spends about half her time quietly working at her computer with numbers.

• Chatting and Helping: The rest of the time, she meets with people to talk about their interesting projects and gives them advice to help fix problems.

Do you need to be good at maths or art? Some people think you are either a “left-brain” thinker (good at logic and facts) or a “right-brain” thinker (creative and imaginative). Lizzy doesn’t think you have to choose just one! To be great at her job, she works with numbers, but she also has to be imaginative and good with people.

One of the most important skills she uses is explaining problems clearly so that everyone can understand, because we all see things differently.

Lizzy says the best bit about her job is working with lots of interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds. She loves that she is always learning new things and being challenged to move forward.