A look inside an inspirational work experience week between UTC Oxfordshire and RM

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting a motivated and talented student from UTC Oxfordshire College work experience week. RM, a proud sponsor of UTC Oxfordshire, opened its doors to introduce the student to working in a large multi-divisional company.  

UTC Oxfordshire, located in Harwell, is renowned for its commitment to nurturing young talents between the ages of 14-19, moulding them into future industry leaders.

UTC Oxfordshire in Harwell, Oxfordshire

At RM Studio, the focus is firmly on innovation - a key aspect we were thrilled to share with our budding tech enthusiast. Throughout the week, our goal was to introduce and foster essential skills such as coding best practices, understanding robust innovation frameworks like the Lean Business Model Canvas, and grasping the multifaceted operations of a tech business. 

Our dedicated team members lent their expertise and personal experiences to bring these concepts to life for our guest. Through their guidance and mentorship, we created an authentic insight into the thrilling and challenging world of tech innovation.  

"I would like to thank the team at RM for having me during this week and Alex for taking time out of his schedule to be with me during the week and Nick S and Nick H for telling me about their career path. I would also like to thank Frances for organising this whole work experience week for me. Thank you" - Student from UTC Oxfordshire 

By the end of the week, our work experience student had not only absorbed a wealth of new information but also put these learnings into practice. They impressively deployed two Streamlit webapps. The first one is an exploratory tool delving into the world of prime numbers, and the second is a handy tool designed to help balance chemical equations:

Prime Number exploratory tool

Chemical equation balancing tool

Reflecting on their time at RM, the student picked out the applications above as a key pivotal moment they would remember for years to come – “seeing something you’ve built yourself actually working is a great feeling”. It can be hard for students to know which direction they would like to take their careers, this week has been invaluable in providing a very real insight into technology, software and innovation. 

Our team at RM Studio was equally inspired by the student’s adaptability, open-mindedness, and curiosity. Their quick grasp of new skills and passion for exploration instilled a fresh perspective in our workspace, reinforcing the value of these initiatives. 

"It was a pleasure hosting this UTC student for a week's work experience at RM. They showed a great ability to pick up new skills and adapted very quickly to the different environment of our workplace. They were open minded, curious, polite, and driven to explore problems" - Colleague at RM  

Our work experience week with the UTC Oxfordshire student was an enriching and fulfilling experience for both the student and the RM team. We remain committed to supporting educational initiatives and nurturing the next generation of tech leaders. Here’s to many more empowering experiences!