Uzair Kola, 24, believes young people are an asset to any organisation. “They have a fresh mindset,” he says. “They can challenge the status quo and bring a different perspective.” As someone just starting out in his career, Uzair himself has lots of energy and ambition. “Innovation keeps me ticking,” he says, “and new ideas are exciting.”
That’s why he loves working at Capita, an international digital services firm, where he’s currently coming to the end of a two-year graduate scheme. It’s also why he jumped at the chance to be part of the company’s new Youth Council, which was set up in January this year. “I’m really passionate about it,” he says.
The Youth Council consists of 10 members, all aged 16-24, five of whom are from outside the firm, plus five from Capita. They sit on the council board for 12 months and the idea behind the scheme is to listen to “different perspectives, unusual ideas [and] lateral thinking”, says Capita, as well as to support and challenge young people.
Among other things, council members must attend quarterly meetings where they discuss youth-related business issues, and act as an ambassador to the organisation.
In addition to this, Uzair has used the role to bring together young people from across the company and to ensure their voices are heard at more senior levels. “[Senior leaders] want to gather thoughts, feelings, and opinions of young individuals and to take into account their views,” he says. “So me and my colleagues are trying to bridge the gap between young people and different parts of the organisation.”
Every fortnight, he meets with other young people working at Capita and asks about their experiences and opinions, so he can then give feedback to senior management.
This has brought people together at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has made socialising and making connections difficult, says Uzair. “This support network has really helped [graduates and others early in their careers] to meet people,” he says. “Capita is giving young people the opportunity to do that and I think that’s incredible.”
Uzair, who studied business at the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan), followed by a work placement at a leading car-rental company, says Capita initially appealed to him because he thought a large international company that values ingenuity and collaboration would enable him to grow. “I thought that it would challenge me and allow me to think in different ways,” he says.
Uzair started out working in Capita Education Software Solutions (ESS). “This gave me the opportunity to hit the ground running,” he says. While there, Uzair went into schools to learn about how Capita’s software was fulfilling their needs, and worked on the product himself to improve it. “It was very rewarding,” he says.
After that, he moved into working on finance and payment software, where he’s kept busy. “I speak to pretty much everyone in the business – from sales, to finance, to marketing, and senior management,” he says.
One thing that Uzair says he really liked about the graduate scheme is that he was given the opportunity to choose the rotations that most interested him.
“My manager gave me the opportunity to spend a few weeks going round different offices in the UK to see what appealed to me,” he says. “I thought: ‘Wow this is great, the company is giving me the opportunity to travel to different businesses, just so I can understand what they do and think about whether I could see myself doing a rotation there’,” he says.
A collection of mentors means Uzair is also well supported. “I’ve had two mentors previously and have got one currently,” he says. “[My mentor] provides a different perspective and angle. When I speak to him it sparks ideas that I wouldn’t otherwise have thought of.”
On top of this, Uzair has weekly one-to-ones with his manager. “We discuss my objectives and how he can support me, and he gives general advice as well,” Uzair says. “He talks to me about things he’s learning and going through and passes that down to me. We discuss any blockers, concerns and progress. This is also a free space to talk about development opportunities and growth,” he adds.
Overall, Uzair has gained a lot from his first few years at Capita and from being a member of the Youth Council. For one thing, the council has enabled him to bring his whole self to work, he says: “It allows me to go above and beyond, to gather insight into other young people, and to grow my career.”
The range of experiences has been good, both on a professional and a personal basis. “From where I started to where I am now after two years – the growth that I see on a personal level is really incredible,” Uzair says, pointing out that when he started, even talking on a Zoom call was something he’d never done before. “But recently, I hosted a Black Lives Matter lunch and learn session for about 200 colleagues, showing how much my confidence has grown.”
Now the sky’s the limit for Uzair, who’s looking forward to his next challenge within the firm. “With Capita your career can really go anywhere,” he says. “That’s the beauty of it.”
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