French Student Tastes Life in Tameside

Date published: 13 July 2010

A French student got the chance to experience working life in the UK thanks to a Tameside business.

Maite Magloire Negrit worked for eight weeks at Hyde-based Newland Engineering.

The placement was arranged after the company played host to a group of visiting French International Trade students in March. Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce chose Newland for the visit as it currently exports to 57 countries.

Lynn Kerfoot, Director of Newland Enginering, said: “Once the group had returned to France, I was contacted by one of the teachers asking if it would be possible for us to take a student on placement for eight weeks.

“Maite is 19 years of age and I couldn’t believe how confident she was. She speaks French, English, Spanish and Creole. Her mother is from Martinique and her father from Guadalupe. She has needed very little supervision and worked on expanding our customer database. She also identified potential new customers for us both in the UK and overseas and prepared and sent out a mail shot.”

Maite spent time with Newland’s sales department and studied the various methods of transport and international payment the company uses.

In her next year at college in Lyon, she will be required to prepare a case study as if she were employed for Newland. She will need to be able to identify potential new customers, propose the correct type of equipment for their application, prepare a quotation and finally process their order.

Lynn said: “I was so sorry to see her go and am sure she will be a very successful young woman and a valuable asset to her future employer.”