Future Ready: Work, Volunteer, Explore at PIE

At PIE we work to support young people to become Future Ready - we do this through all of our programmes, sessions, events and workshops by giving young people the opportunity to develop the 5 PIE slices: Communication, Digital, Project Management, Community Links and Cultural Capital. As well as supporting young people through our different projects and programmes, we are also proud to offer a variety of work experience, placement and paid work opportunities for young people. We are passionate about ensuring young people have opportunities to develop skills they need to enter the world of work, and see the offering of placements and paid work as a vital part of of commitment to supporting young people.

We offer these opportunities in a variety of different format - via volunteering to support at projects and events, structured work experience for young people from our partner schools, placements for university students and opportunities for paid work supporting our community activities.

We have spoken to some of the young people who have had opportunities to gain work experience with us over the past few months:

Rex and Will have both just left school and are about to start college. They have completed volunteering with us over the past year, and then have had paid work with us over the summer.

Sophie is just about to start Year 11 and completed her one week work experience with us in July from Stockport Academy.

Daisy is part of our L!STEN group and has started volunteering with us this summer ahead of starting Year 11 at Stockport Grammar this September.

Evie has completed a variety of volunteer and paid work for us over the past two years - Evie is 18 and currently exploring her next steps for her future career or studying,

1. How did you first get involved with working with PIE?

The first time I ever heard of PIE was through L!STEN and the first youth summit in which I was chosen to be a representative of my school ,after attending one of my teachers spoke to me about joining the L!STEN project and convinced to apply and luckily I was accepted and became a member of the group and from L!STEN I asked Beth if there was any other projects I could volunteer or help out with. (Will)

I first got involved with PIE after I left school in 2023 at the L!STEN and Stuff magazine sessions. After a few months of attending these sessions and volunteering, I was offered paid work. (Evie)

I received an invitation to attend a L!STEN session through Young Carers. This initial experience sparked my interest in the organisation and its work supporting young people. After attending the session, I continued participating regularly, which allowed me to explore and engage with a variety of opportunities that PIE offers. Over time, this involvement deepened my connection with the organisation and motivated me to contribute more actively to its programmes and initiatives. (Rex)

I went to Start Point Coffee Shop in Woodley, it started off as a milkshake club before PIE took over and it then became a magazine club. (Sophie)

I attended the Youth Summit with my school in 2024, I was really interested in getting more involved and behind the scenes so I signed up to join the Youth Alliance! (Daisy)

2. What volunteering/ work experience/ paid work have you been involved with for PIE?

I have been a member of the L!STEN youth alliance and been apart of organising the Youth Summit and wellbeing festival I have also had the privilege of volunteering on the Step Up program supervising on trips such as Blackpool as currently I am being paid at help run HAF at Marple. (Will)

I mainly work on social media stuff for the L!STEN Youth alliance, creating posts and running the Instagram account. I assist at any events the L!STEN group hold and more recently I have been able to take a bigger role with helping to plan the events. (Evie)

I volunteered with PIE for around a year, supporting both the HAF provision and the Step Up programme. More recently, after finishing school, I returned to work on the HAF programme again—this time as a paid member of the team. (Rex)

I did a week of work experience where I helped out with different sessions and helped with a 2 day project for L!STEN. (Sophie)

I have volunteered with PIE by helping organise and run the Youth Summit and I volunteered at the HAF holiday club. (Daisy)

3. What have your learned during your time working with PIE? What skills have you developed?

PIE has definitely taught me a lot and developed some of my skillset. One of the most important lessons PIE has taught me is Growth isn’t one-sided, I joined PIE hoping to support others, but I didn’t expect how much I’d grow myself. The people I met challenged and inspired me in ways I never anticipated. Their strength and perspective taught me lessons I will carry with me through life. (Will)

My confidence and self belief have grown massively. I’ve also been able to develop my digital skills and my interpersonal skills. (Evie)

I’ve learned valuable new skills such as activity preparation, safeguarding awareness, and adaptability. I’ve also developed important personal and professional qualities like communication, patience, and teamwork. These experiences have strengthened my ability to support others and handle responsibilities in a range of different situations. (Rex)

I feel like I've been able to communicate a lot more with other people for example, during work experience I had to talk to people I'd never met before which is something I would've never done if I wasn't motivated to communicate with someone I didn't know this also helped boost my confidence. (Sophie)

I have learnt lots volunteering, it has substantially improved my social skills and team work skills and how to be a leader, I’m always learning something new and it will stick with me for life. (Daisy)

4. How do you think the opportunities you have been given with PIE will help you with work and your career in the future?

It will massively help shape my future especially considering I want a future in politics, PIE has given me the opportunities to lead projects and collaborate with other people along with enhancing my decision making skills and public speaking all which will be massively important for my future. (Will)

The opportunities that I’ve had with PIE have helped me gain valuable experience in the VCFSE sector and working with young people. I still don’t know what I want to do as a future career but I have been able to recognise things that I am good at that can be applied to future roles. (Evie)

My experiences have given me practical opportunities to grow both personally and professionally, helping me become more confident and adaptable in different situations. Working with others, taking initiative, and leading activities have improved my problem-solving and teamwork abilities, which are essential in any workplace. These experiences have also taught me how to build and maintain relationships, manage responsibilities, and handle challenges effectively. Overall, the opportunities I’ve had with PIE have prepared me to contribute positively and succeed in a wide range of future career paths. (Rex)

They will help me in the future with work because I'll be able to communicate with employers a lot better. (Sophie)

I have been given so many opportunities with PIE and how to work with younger children, In the future I want to work with youth, and PIE are really helping me with that for when I’m older. (Daisy)

5. What tips would you give other young people about getting work experience/ volunteering or paid work?

Be proactive, don't wait for opportunities to find you you need to go out take the initiative and find them yourself. (Will)

Try and gain as much experience in careers that they would be interested in doing. Whilst grades are important for careers, a lot of employers also want people to have some sort of experience. (Evie)

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Even if you don’t have much experience yet, showing enthusiasm and a willingness to learn can go a long way. Take advantage of local organisations like PIE that offer opportunities, and say yes to things that might push you out of your comfort zone—it’s the best way to grow. Consistency and commitment is also incredibly important. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek feedback. Every experience is a learning opportunity. (Rex)

Make sure you find somewhere you'll enjoy working at because you'll be more motivated to do your best. (Sophie)

Just get involved, I have had so much fun helping out and being able to make lots of friends. It’s really been a great few years with PIE. (Daisy)