Marks and Spencer give Top Marks to Tipperary Students

Friday, April 26th, 2019

In Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Marks & Spencers (M&S) has been partnered with a local secondary school, Clonmel Central Technical Institute (CCTI) as part of the Business in the Community Ireland’s (BITCI) S@W programme since September 2010. From the very beginning of the partnership, staff members have shared their expertise with the students and have helped open their eyes to the variety of career options available to them after school.

Jade Greene, Store Manager of M&S, Clonmel discussing customer service guidelines with students from CCTl.

The S@W programme provides students with a unique insight into the world of work. Over six sessions, students are provided with the opportunity to learn about their partnering company and to consider career and further study options available to them.

Lindsay Comer (left), M&S and Elaine Begley (right), Guidance Counsellor, CCTI with a student chosen for work experience following an excellent mock interview.

Sessions in the S@W programme include site visits, interview preparation, day in the life insights, group discussion sessions with employees and CV workshops. M&S in Clonmel additionally held a session which focused on customer service skills during the student’s visit to the store, focusing on how to deal with an unhappy customer, customers wishing to return products and how to up-sell to customers.

Leonard Kelly, BITCI has seen the benefits of the partnership: “It is great to see one of our established partnerships continue to flourish. This year M&S presented an additional session relating to customer service, and it was great to see Jade Greene the store manager take an active part in it. I believe her M&S story of first coming in on work experience and rising up to become store manager could be an inspiration to many of the students present on the day.”

Leonard Kelly, South East Coordinator, BITCI (left), Lindsay Comer, M&S (second from left), and Elaine Begley, School Guidance Counsellor (right) with CCTI students who were awarded with certificates of participation at the end of the S@W programme.