International Women’s Day 2024 | Inspiring Inclusion

Article summary: Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024 with interviews with some of our inspiring team members! Hear more about what they do and how they’ve developed in their time at PETA.

Nicky – Engineering Administrator

I came from a part-time role to here and was totally out of my depth. It was a big learning curve and for me it's always been about not having the confidence in myself. There was no-one in my role, so I had to come straight in at the deep end. For me, my role is about making it all a positive and fun environment, I want the learners to feel cared about and looked after, watching them go on their journey and feeling like you're part of that is really special.
Being given the opportunity where people trust you and where you're allowed to voice your opinion really makes a difference. Usually I would sit back and not say anything but it makes a difference knowing that your voice is heard. If you want to make a change in some way, then people are willing to listen.

With my confidence, it's still a work in progress, I've still got a long way to go, but with my manager Sandy knowing me as a person and respecting the tasks that you find more challenging helps you to stay authentic. You're allowed to develop at your own pace and grow but still be your own person and do things your way, while still achieving the same outcomes.

Georgia – Event Administrator

I joined as part of the Kickstart Scheme in 2021 as sales administrator. Coming here was me at the very start of my career, as I'd just done my A-Levels and that was it. I was nervous and scared because I'd never been in this world of work so it was all new for me. Coming into such a welcoming and supportive team that are always happy to help, allowed me to get on with my job and feel relaxed and not worry about making mistakes. That allowed me to grow my confidence in both myself and my work, and made me more experienced with having an eye for detail so I can do my job efficiently.

Where my role has changed over the years, I've had more opportunity to do different things as the role has grown. Now working as events co-ordinator, my experience working at PETA has allowed me to take the lead in my role and successfully manage all my events and tasks.
PETA has fully supported me with my career plans and goals. Stepping into my new events role was all new to me, but I've managed to pick things up and run successful events. In order to ensure I'm improving in myself and in the business, I've got the opportunity to complete the project management apprenticeship. This shows how PETA want to invest in their people, which mirrors and represents our tagline "Aspire to Learn, Apply to Advance".

Sharon – Health & Safety Administrator

Coming into health and safety was a challenge, because I didn't really have the knowledge and it's seen as a very male-dominated industry. However we are run by a female manager which did help, when I first started it was me and another female admin working under Emma, so we made ourselves a close team and we really supported each other as a group of women.
I wasn't used to working in such a corporate and professional environment, so I wasn't confident in that. Emma looked at that and saw that I would benefit from becoming more assertive with myself and colleagues within the business. My confidence has grown and I'm more comfortable having difficult conversations, whilst still being comfortable to be myself.

PETA encourages me to progress because I've been on so many of our courses. Management are good with progression no matter what age you are. I was previously a mental health first aider so when I came here, I requested to be involved and was put on the course, to be able to support and signpost people within the business. I do like learning and doing qualifications to challenge myself, I still want to improve myself and I don't feel like I'm ready to give up on that at my age. I still have something to give and something to achieve, and they're very good here with helping you to achieve those goals.

Caroline – SHEQ Co-ordinator

When I first joined PETA, almost 20 years ago, I worked as an admin assistant in the company standards and systems department raising POs and filing, then when my manager realised I was capable of more I began to get involved with other things relating to compliance. As I proved my capabilities further, I gained more responsibility. They believed in me, knew I was capable and helped me on my journey. I moved into the role of IMS co-ordinator, and most recently I've progressed to become SHEQ co-ordinator.

I didn't think I'd still be here 20 years down the line, but I love it here. Having a varied role definitely helps, no 2 days are the same for me and I like the people I work with, there's such a friendly atmosphere. I've certainly been encouraged to continue to develop and reach my potential, but you've got to want to do it yourself. Being willing to step outside your comfort zone and try something new, and it's great knowing that you'll be supported with that.

I've been through 3 CEOs in my time here and with each one there have been changes, but I just like to embrace it as the change is always positive and for the better, from my perspective. During my time with PETA, the organisation has recognised my ability and potential and given me the opportunity and encouragement to broaden my knowledge, and provided me with the relevant training to enhance my skills and take on additional responsibilities.

Sarah – Apprenticeship Recruiter

I'd never worked in recruitment before here, so coming into it was a new challenge and I didn't really know what to fully expect. One of the first things I said to Beth, my manager, is that I just wanted to get thrown in, so I gained more responsibilities early on which gave me more confidence. At the start I was a bit nervous, but knowing you have a team of supportive people to fall back on, it does make you feel more confident.

Joining last year, I felt like I'd been in the team forever when it was only my first day. We've built a really strong team both inside and outside of work, the support is great and I can turn to them for everything. It's such a nice place to work, everyone has fun and it's not a stuffy or really corporate environment, I feel like everyone can be themselves.

In the future, I know that my manager and team would have my back with anything I want to do. I've already done some training courses and I feel confident voicing my opinion and making suggestions. I'm going to start supporting with sign-ups which isn't traditionally part of my role, but I'm happy to put myself forward for things and learn about other areas of the business to help things run smoother.

Lily – Learning & Development Coach

My background was in retail management, which I worked in for 13 years. Even though I gained so much experience with management skills, coaching, training and developing, I had no formal qualifications to prove it when looking for another job. So when the opportunity came to work here, PETA really took a punt on me and I’m really grateful that they gave me a chance.

Since joining in 2022, I’ve been supported to develop myself professionally in areas that I’m interested in. I’ve completed my mental health first aid training, am currently doing neurodivergence awareness training with the Open University to further my knowledge in supporting my learners, and I’ve also been encouraged to do a PTTLES accreditation as an introduction into teaching, which I’ve always liked the idea of.

I’ve gone from having experience but no qualifications, to now potentially delivering training as a qualified instructor in the space of a few years. I couldn’t have done this without the support of my team and the encouragement from PETA to continue my professional development. I love my job, I couldn’t fault the job itself and I couldn’t be happier in my role. I feel empowered and trusted within the business, also I like how I can wear what I want and authentically be myself.

Get in touch with us using the form below: