Virtual

Culinary Innovation Exploration: Virtual Work Experience with Pret

Job sector

Hospitality, Catering & Events

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Students based in the UK, and that are aged 13 or above, are welcome to apply

Certificate of completion

Over 7 hours worth of content

Overview

Dive into the heart of one of the high street's most iconic brands with Pret's exclusive virtual work experience in collaboration with Springpod. Discover the secrets behind Pret's freshly made food and organic coffee, and learn how they drive high street food towards a healthier, more sustainable future. Join us for an immersive journey into product development, where you'll have the chance to design your own creation. Successful ideas may even fast-track you onto a Pret apprenticeship, a three-year long opportunity that's great for any young person starting out in their career! From key stages of development to turning ideas into reality, this program offers unique opportunities and valuable insights from the experts at Pret.

What's included

This programme will cover everything from an introduction to key stages of product development at Pret, showing you the different stages that drive innovation, to turning an idea into the real deal. You’ll have the chance to take part in some unique opportunities and learn about the benefits of doing Pret's fast-track apprenticeship.

The Pace of Change

In the food and drinks industry, things can change pretty quickly - every new product and decision that’s made has a lot of consideration behind it. So, what goes into this change, and product development at Pret? From looking at what drives change to an overview of product development, including an insight into essential considerations, this module will introduce you to what product development is really like!

Ideation

Development

It’s amazing seeing an idea come to life, but there’s often a few processes that come along the way, with the occasional misstep too! Staying on track and keeping a close eye on project management is key to bringing a project to life. This module will look at the teams, roles and responsibilities involved in development feedback, project management, and timelines. There’ll even top tips that’ll help you stay on track, and get your idea closer to reality.

Pricing

From recipe development to ingredient sourcing, this module will provide you with valuable insight into all things pricing at Pret. After learning more about the teams, roles and processes involved at different stages of development and sourcing, you’ll get a taste of how to ascertain the cost of a product from ingredients and how they’re sourced through a costing tutorial, before hearing more from leading industry professionals offering bonus tips, hints and pathway information in a live webinar. You’ll finish off the module with an immersive costing activity.

Marketing

What is marketing? How are marketing channels used? What’s needed to create a stand-out marketing campaign? This module aims to answer all of these questions and more! Once you’ve brushed up on the 7Ps of marketing and explored the rise of digital marketing, you’ll find out more about Pret’s marketing strategy, completing the module with an activity all about planning your very own product launch.

Branding and Packaging

You might not realise it, but branding is an integral part of any company’s image and how it’s perceived by customers. In this module, you’ll delve deeper into the fascinating world of branding and packaging. After a whistle-stop tour of key brand elements for Pret, you’ll take a closer look at how branding and packaging have evolved over time. You’ll even learn about key visual considerations, and how the right elements help create the characteristics of all Pret packaging! Using everything you’ve learnt - including top tips and advice shared in the live webinar - you’ll have a go at designing your own eye-catching packaging.

Store Roll Out

So, it’s finally time to launch a product - what happens now? This module will take you through an overview of ‘launch day’ and the different teams involved in this exciting stage. From an overview of how products are presented and talked about to how they are incorporated into current offerings and served, you’ll also learn more about ‘point of sale’. To explore this in more detail, you’ll hear from industry professionals in a live webinar, before having a go at adding your own notes about launch day to your designs.

Available dates

On demand

Programme dates

28th February 2024 - 28th February 2025

Hear from our student community

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Aqsa Saleemi, Year 12 Student

Thank you for all your time and effort. The program was by far the best experience I’ve had virtually compared to other virtual experiences I’ve done. I liked the layout and the interactive activities, and I learnt a lot I didn’t know. I would definitely recommend this program to others; it was a great experience I would love to do it all again.

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Sophia Nathwani, Year 11 Student, from Hampton

I enjoyed understanding the many professions and areas within journalism that I had not been able to clearly separate prior to this programme; I particularly enjoyed the photojournalism and broadcast journalism sections, as they allowed me to explore a less conventional writing style than what I would normally use. The interactive tasks were a great way for me to demonstrate and put into practice my new knowledge, and all of the videos were extremely concise and helpful.

“

Stephanie Oseha, Year 12 Student

A huge thank you to everyone who made this programme possible. It was a fantastic experience, and I feel more confident in myself now when applying for a job position in the future and in my personal life. I valued this experience because I realised it was okay to make mistakes and how they make you stronger for future events. I loved how efficient the Barclays team was when students and the professionals who ran the live webinars asked questions. The skills I've learnt through this virtual work experience will be used for future endeavours. So once again, thank you so much.

Frequently asked questions

I have a question about my application or programme eligibility

When will I hear back if I have been successful with my application?

Once you have applied for your programme, you will receive a confirmation email. You will be notified about the outcome of your application via email at least 3 days before the programme start date. Good luck!

Can I apply to multiple programmes?

Yes, you can sign up to multiple programmes with us. The live talks will be available as recordings, so you can catch up on any potential clashes.

Who can take part in the programme? (Age limits, some programmes have location constraints but most don’t etc.)

Most of our programmes require students to be in school/college. Some programmes require students to be based in specific regions of the UK, this is stipulated by the organisations themselves, and is not defined by Springpod.

However, the ages mentioned on our programmes are more of a guideline than a strict limit. As such, we more than welcome older students to apply as well!

I have a question about my assignment

How long does it take for assignments to be reviewed?

Assignments can take up to a week or longer to review and be marked complete. Rest assured, it will be reviewed soon and your certificate will be generated once your programme has been marked as complete.

What do I do if I upload the wrong file?

If you make a mistake when uploading a file, please email hello@springpod.com. We will be able to make a note on our system. Don’t worry, the outcome of your programme will not be affected by this.

I have a question about the programme dates, deadline or workload

How long will I have to complete this programme?

There is no specific cut-off deadline for completing your programme (although, if possible, we would encourage you to complete all the work within the time frame, alongside the live webinar sessions).

When does the programme start?

Our programmes have various start dates, you can find the exact date on the programme website page. These are available here: https://www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience/search

You will be notified if your application has been successful, 3 days before the programme start date.

What happens if I can't finish the work experience in time?

All programme material will remain accessible after the end date of the programme. Students can continue to work through their programme after the official end date. Although, if possible, we would strongly encourage students to complete all the work within the time frame, alongside the live webinar sessions.

How much work is required for these programmes? (Will I be able/should I complete more than one programme at a time)?

There is around 10 hours worth of work in total, spread across a two week period. The live talks will be available as recordings, so you can catch up on any work whenever possible.

When do the programmes run? (programme structure etc.)

Once you have access, you can view and complete the material as and when you can, within the time frame of the course in question (for example, within a two week period). In total, there is around 10 hours worth of work. The live talks will take place during weekday working hours. However, all live talks will be available as recordings and the courses can be completed at your own convenience. . There is no specific cut-off deadline for completing your programme (although, if possible, we would encourage you to complete all the work within the time frame, alongside the live webinar sessions).

I have a question about the live talks

What happens if I can't make a live talk/webinar?

All live talks will be available as recordings. You can access these at the same link used to access the live event. So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live webinar, a recording will be available for you to access through your programme within 24 hours of the live event finishing.

What software is required for the live talks?

We use a piece of software called BigMarker. It is a cloud based video hosting software. It requires no installations or downloads on your end, and will provide everything you need to join the live webinars through one simple link.

Will I be able to ask questions/do I have to have my microphone on?

You will have a chance to ask questions at the end of each webinar. These questions are typed out and then read to the presenter by the host of the live talk. There is no need to speak, and all student microphones will be muted for the duration of the live webinar.

I have a question about the certificate

I have a question about in-person work experience

Do you offer in-person work experience?
We don't directly manage in person work experience but many of our virtual programmes can lead to in person opportunities, look for the programmes marked as 'Virtual to Reality'. You will need to complete the virtual programme and declare your interest via the embedded form.
When will I hear if there is an in-person opportunity?
Our employer partner will contact you directly about any opportunities, timescales can vary Springpod won't be able to provide any updates on progress.

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