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Idea of the Month
- Cannon U.K.: A Week That Works

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Idea of the Month
Cannon U.K.
A Week That Works
Students spend a week at Cannon's plant in the United Kingdom and learn all that a manufacturing company has to offer in the way of career and employment options.


Like many students her age, 16-year-old Fiona Cunningham isn't sure which career path to take. But thanks to an innovative program at Cannon UK, she has a much better idea than she did before.

Dubbed "Week at Work," the program gives children of Cannon UK employees the opportunity to spend time in the corporate and manufacturing environment so they can see for themselves what their parents' jobs entail. It also gives Cannon UK the opportunity to show the students all that a manufacturing company has to offer in the way of career and employment options.

Fiona, the daughter of product manger Graham Cunningham, was one of two students to participate in the past year. The other was Charlene Baganz-Moore, daughter of publicity manager Brytta Baganz.

Reflecting on his daughter's experience, Graham Cunningham noted that Fiona learned more than she could have just by attending school. "Because she was taught about the industrial revolution, she thought the plant would be a noisy, dirty place," he says. "She didn't expect all the technical aspects of it. I don't think industry gets good press, and when she saw it first hand she got a pleasant surprise."

Fiona, who spent time in a number of departments, found other surprises as well. "Before I started my Work Experience at Cannon, I imagined that the workplace would be quite dull," she says. "I was surprised to find that the jobs in each department were very different, although what most surprised me was that the employees of Cannon seemed to enjoy their work, and have fun while they completed it."

While the students still have plenty of time to decide which career path to take, Charlene says her Week at Work helped narrow her focus. "Being part of a big team is fun," she says, "and you have the chance to work in different roles if you want to. I couldn't see myself in the same job for over 40 years, but I can see myself being part of the same company, and at ITT you could even work in more than one country during your career.

"My work experience at ITT has influenced my choice of subjects for college and for the future on a whole, I definitely want to work for a large company."

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