Josie, Graduate Project Officer

I got a place on the Suffolk Partnership Graduate Programme in 2022 after completing a degree in Geography and International Development (BA). I did not know exactly what I wanted to do after completing my course, but I knew that I wanted something people related. I was attracted to the programme because it would give me an opportunity to help others in the public sector. Also, project management is a very transferrable skill and getting real-life experience alongside an apprenticeship in it would bolster my future career.

My first placement was based in the Communities Team at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council. I worked predominantly on the Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, organising free holiday activity provision to free school meal eligible children every school holiday. I also worked on other projects including family fun days, performance monitoring for the team and the Tour of Britain. My highlight in this placement was getting to do quality control visits of HAF during the holidays and seeing the children enjoy the activities that I played a part in organising.

My second placement was in the Environmental Strategy Team at Suffolk County Council. My main project for this was to organise the Greenest County Awards ceremony which celebrates environmental excellence across Suffolk. The day of the awards was a highlight in my career as it was a joy to recognise people’s hard work in making Suffolk a better place. I also worked on other projects in this role related to electric vehicles, flooding and the Youth Climate Conference.

My experience of being part of this programme has been incredibly positive. I feel I have learned so much about working in a corporate environment, and I have been exposed to a variety of different opportunities. For example, I was able to shadow some children’s social workers for a few days as I was interested in their role. My advice to any future applicants would be to go for it! Don’t be afraid to ask for help or for opportunities. 

Following completion of the programme, I have got a job in the Environmental Strategy Team as a Travel Plan Project Officer, so I am hoping to hone in on my project management skills further and take on more accountability in managing projects.