Electrical4Less is proud to have welcomed a student from the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres for work experience for the second year in a row.
Based in South Kensington, the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres gives its students the opportunity to gain real workplace experience with local businesses, helping them understand different industries and professional environments before making future career choices.
As a small independent electrical wholesaler and trade counter in Fulham, Electrical4Less was pleased to support the school’s work experience programme again this year. The business hosted one student last year and one student this year, allowing each placement to be properly managed and giving each student a genuine opportunity to contribute.
Behind the scenes, the main person driving this support from the Electrical4Less side is Beata. As well as managing the day-to-day demands of a busy trade counter, Beata has been central to making the company’s apprenticeship support work and to making these work experience placements successful. Her experience in dealing with young people, giving them structure, keeping them focused and helping them understand workplace expectations has been the key reason the placements have worked so well.
Supporting young people is important to Electrical4Less. The company has previously written about its support for apprenticeship programmes, and work experience is another practical way the business can help young people gain confidence, understand the working environment and see how a real business operates day to day.
The main focus of the placement was administration and basic bookkeeping-related tasks. This gave the student a practical insight into the day-to-day paperwork, organisation and back-office work involved in running a busy trade counter and online electrical supplies business.
The experience has been extremely positive on both occasions. The students were not simply observers — they were a genuine help. They listened carefully to their manager, followed instructions properly and completed the tasks given to them.
Their punctuality also stood out. On both occasions, the student arrived before opening time, ready to start the day, which made an excellent impression on the team.
One light-hearted moment also stayed with the team. After spending several focused hours working through admin and paperwork tasks, one student stepped outside the shop at the end of the day, raised his hands and gave a well-earned “yeah!” Everyone laughed and smiled at the moment, because it perfectly captured the feeling of finishing a proper day’s work. It was a small but memorable example of a young person taking the opportunity seriously, putting in the effort and feeling proud of a job well done.
The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres commented: “The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres is immensely grateful to Electrical4Less for their renewed commitment to our work experience programme. Partnerships with local businesses are invaluable, offering our Y11 students a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between academic learning and the practical realities of the professional world. Such placements are essential in helping young people develop the confidence and insights needed to navigate their future careers.”
Electrical4Less would like to thank the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres for their kind words and for trusting the business to support its students for a second consecutive year.
For a small local business, taking part in work experience needs to be practical for both sides. In this case, it has worked extremely well. The students gained real workplace experience, while Electrical4Less benefited from their help, positive attitude and willingness to learn.
Electrical4Less looks forward to continuing this positive relationship with the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres and supporting young people from the local community where possible.
