LGA - Laura
My background
Originally from Cornwall, I studied History and Politics at Loughborough and applied for the NGDP whilst doing a Masters at Exeter.
Why Warwickshire?
Moving to Warwickshire was a very big move for me and not somewhere I’d even visited before. I was sold by the mix of big towns for events, socialising and shopping and the more rural side of Warwickshire, as well as its great transport links (for me, this was road).
Warwickshire appealed to me as a County Council because of the wide variety of work the council undertakes and because of that, the variety of opportunities I could have. The most enjoyable part of working at WCC, for me, are the people I work with. Every person we have met at the council is so generous with their time and genuinely invested in your experience and growth. We’ve been encouraged to grow our own network and make our contacts.
Opportunities
I’ve felt so grateful and surprised by all the opportunities I’ve had at WCC even in a short space of time. What has really stood out after speaking to others on the scheme is how much time and exposure we’ve had with members of senior leadership, having a strategic director as a mentor and regular catch ups with our Chief Executive has been such a brilliant opportunity and meant we’ve had the best possible overview of the council’s work at every level.
We’ve been given the opportunity to work in all three Directorates and so far I’ve had the opportunity to meet with directors across the council, support the council’s COVID response, produce policy briefings and work collaboratively on developing the council’s approach to writing strategy in the Corporate Policy Unit. On my second placement within Sustainable Communities I was able to work with different business and community stakeholders across the county and further afield, working with District, Borough, Town and Parish councils on covid response and recovery, as well as preparing for more long term challenges and planning. I was able to get involved in preparation for the Commonwealth Games and a big public realm art project, working with different parts of the council and artists throughout the county to commission large pieces of public art. My third placement is with the Health Wellbeing & Self-care team, with projects on sexual health services, family wellbeing and promoting independence. On each placement we’ve had the opportunity to shape our work to our interests and been encouraged to pursue them.