Workplace Mentor: Alice Re-discovers Her Spark at Iron Mountain
When the partnership between Creating Tomorrow College and Iron Mountain first began at our Lutterworth Campus, no one could have predicted just how quickly it would start shaping the culture of a global organisation. And at the heart of this transformation is Alice Mullan – Training and Onboarding Manager, workplace champion, and a dedicated Iron Mountain colleague of 19 years.
For Alice, supporting our learners wasn’t just a new responsibility. It became the spark that re-energised a long and successful career.
A Career Re-energised by Connection
Having spent nearly two decades building her expertise and reputation within Iron Mountain, Alice thought she knew every part of the business. But the company’s rapid expansion into warehouse and logistics solutions – combined with the new partnership with Creating Tomorrow College – brought fresh energy to her role.
Her passion for welcoming, training, and empowering new staff has always been clear. But now, with our learners stepping into the business, that passion has taken on new meaning.
“I think it’s so important when people arrive to really say to them, ‘okay, you might have joined us to drive a forklift in a warehouse, but do you realise what kind of organisation you have joined? What exciting things we’re doing around the world and what amazing opportunities there are?’ Alice explained.
For her, giving every new starter – including our students – a sense of belonging and possibility is more than onboarding. It’s culture-building.
A Cultural ‘Win-Win’
The learners soon became part of the heartbeat of Iron Mountain’s engagement calendar. From monthly charity drives to health awareness campaigns, they have taken active roles in supporting and coordinating campus initiatives. And the impact has been noticeable.
“Just having these young people on site, involved in our events, and around our operation is making our people more thoughtful about what they say and how they say it,” Alice shared. Their presence has added a sense of reflection, patience, and openness across the teams.
For Alice, this shift has been personally invigorating.
“I’m getting involved in something massive, and even after 19 years I’m excited. That’s really cool. It’s totally re-energised my career.”
The partnership has achieved something powerful: a stronger, more inclusive workplace culture and a meaningful pathway for talented young people to step into employment with confidence.
Discovering a New Kind of Impact
Unlike a typical placement story, this success isn’t centred on just one learner. It’s about the ripple effect one partnership can have across an entire workforce – and how one champion, in Alice, has helped bridge two worlds.
For Iron Mountain, the Creating Tomorrow College programme has become a strategic advantage as well as a social one.
“Not only are we supporting the community and living our inclusion and teamwork value, but we have an opportunity here to get some really talented people into our company that others are not even looking at,” Alice said.
A Partnership We’re Proud to Grow
We are incredibly thankful to Iron Mountain for opening their doors to us, for their continued support, and for the life-changing opportunities they help us create for our learners. What began at Lutterworth has expanded to Kettering and will soon grow again with our upcoming Rugby campus. This partnership is unlocking new futures for young people with SEND across our sites – and we are grateful every day for the shared commitment that makes it possible.