Committee Services/Project Worker Review

The placement at Shropshire Council was fantastic as it provided real life work experience, allowed me to develop new transferable skills, and was thoroughly enjoyable from a social standpoint!

I felt valued by my colleagues as they had no hesitation in providing me with projects to work on which are important to the organisation. This shows they had faith in my ability to carry out the tasks set, and reiterates the high level of responsibility you are given in your placement at Shropshire Council.

You are given a high level of support on your placement with Shropshire Council as there is a dedicated graduate manager who is available to help whenever you are struggling with anything within the organisation which is invaluable.

I was incredibly busy at the Shropshire Council which was a relief as there is always a worry when starting a placement that you will be given little or no work of substance, but this is not the case. I was given important project work from the very start, and upon completion of this work you were then assigned another project to complete!

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement, with one particular project being entirely managed by myself, which as an intern is a pretty exciting. This may seem daunting to some, but the opportunity to be given real life work is what most undergraduates/graduates strive for, and this is one of the many factors which make the Shropshire Council internship programme so appealing.

I learnt a lot of skills in my placement at Shropshire Council which will stand me in good stead in my future working endeavours. My communication skills have improved considerably, alongside my ability to work in teams. I have been given exposure to high profile meetings, which has been invaluable as I have seen how big decisions have been made by senior management, something you wouldn’t expect from an internship programme.

The atmosphere in the office was great as colleagues were always on hand to help if you needed it, but also actively encouraged you to come out for social gatherings and other fun activities.

The programme was set up well as I was provided with a 3 month schedule which outlined my main activities and meetings I was expected to attend. I noticed there were some gaps on the schedule before I started leading me to believe I would have some quiet time…but they soon filled up once the placement started!

The organisation invested in me by giving me this opportunity and exposure to training/workshops and other activity days which have given me real transferable skills. I particularly enjoyed the social media workshops which I found incredibly useful.

Whilst in the middle of my placement I applied for the Shropshire Council Graduate Programme and with the skills I had picked up during my internship I was lucky enough to secure a place on the programme. This further reiterates how valuable the internship programme was to me, and I would most definitely recommend applying for next year’s internship if you are an undergraduate/graduate who is considering a career in the public sector.

With 13 of us in total on the programme there was a great social scene as more often than not there would be an email going round planning the next big night out! The interns also provided an extended support network which was also invaluable, as they were going through the same experience you were so it’s nice being able to discuss any difficulties you were having with someone who understood exactly where you were coming from.

Like anywhere with the current economic climate it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s not London prices either!

There is enough to do in Shrewsbury to ensure that you aren’t bored, with numerous bars, clubs and restaurants around to keep you entertained during your placement. In particular the variety of restaurants is an appealing factor, with virtually every type of food available within the town.

There were plenty opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work ranging from the Queen visiting Cosford, charity events, BBQ’s and 5-a-side football.