A Valuable Industry Placement
The team at OPM were proud to welcome T-Level student Harry to site for his 45-day industry placement. Currently studying Business, Harry was keen to gain a deeper understanding of how businesses operate, and to apply the knowledge he had gained in the classroom to real-world situations.
Exploring Different Departments
Harry spent time with various departments at OPM, including Customer Services, Reprographics, Finance and Production, before homing in on his main interests of finance and sales. During his placement, he also had the opportunity to witness the installation of our new Flat Bottom pouch machine and see firsthand how the new pouches are formed.
“It was amazing seeing how every department worked together to keep the business running smoothly. I didn’t realise how much communication and teamwork were involved behind the scenes in producing and delivering labels and packaging.”
Read more about Harry’s placement in his own words here 👇
Harry’s Placement Experience
“My time at OPM Packaging and Labels has been an incredibly valuable experience, giving me the opportunity to work across a wide range of departments including sales, estimating, customer service, finance, quality, production, logistics, HR and IT. Seeing how each department works individually, while also relying on one another, has given me a real understanding of what it takes to run a successful business.
Before starting my placement, I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to pursue. However, experiencing so many different roles has opened my eyes to opportunities I had never considered before. One of the most interesting areas was in the sales department with Arnie, where I had the chance to attend customer meetings, research new business opportunities, and see how strong relationships are built and maintained. It gave me a new appreciation for the importance of communication, networking and understanding customer needs.
What stood out to me throughout the placement was how every department worked together towards the same goal. Although each team had different responsibilities, there was clear communication and teamwork across the business, ensuring a positive workplace environment.
Throughout the placement, I was trusted with meaningful tasks, from supporting customer service and finance to carrying out market research, helping with quality investigations, and gaining hands on experience in production. This allowed me to develop my communication, organisation, problem-solving, and attention to detail while building my confidence in a professional environment.
The biggest thing I will take away from OPM is not only a much greater understanding of how a business operates, but also a clearer idea of the career I want to pursue. I am extremely grateful to everyone at OPM for taking their time to share their knowledge, involving me in their work, and making me feel welcome from day one.
This placement has been an invaluable experience and has given me skills, confidence, and career direction that I will take forward in the future. Thank you to everyone at OPM for making it such an enjoyable and rewarding opportunity.”
