A: I joined in September 2024 as an Industry Placement Student within the Resourcing Hub, part of the People & Inclusion department.
A: As a BA Geography student, I am deeply interested in the cross-over between sustainability and communication – being a part of projects that center community and actionable change. Hearing about the Environment Agency’s Industry Year in Business & Communications, I wanted the opportunity to learn and work alongside the people at the center of this change.
A: What stands out about the EA is how welcoming and kind each team you meet is. Transitioning from university to the workplace is always a big step and having a supportive team to help me find my feet was invaluable. You get to explore hands-on work right from the start, taking part in outcome days where you get to go into local communities and work on sustainability projects on the ground. I learnt that if you’re curious and willing to ask questions, there is always someone ready to share their experience and help you grow.
A: In my role, I had the opportunity to take on 3-4 projects at a time. This meant that every day looked a little different, which is something I really valued. Getting to choose my own projects and work cross-departmentally gave me great exposure to the diverse industries within the EA, meet with different teams and learn new skills. Some days this looked like researching and building up case studies; other days I helped plan learning and development sessions for interns or collaborated with teams on creative projects. A true highlight of my year was attending events with my team, getting to exhibit and communicate all the work that you’re a part of.
A: I’ve grown most through hands-on learning: presenting my work to stakeholders, helping organise events, and leading communications projects that had real impact. I also took a SharePoint Site Owners course; developing my skills in website building and how to communicate data across the Agency. Being a part of a supportive team gives you the space to push yourself and learn new skillsets. Learning from colleagues who shared advice and their own experiences helped me explore new opportunities and align my projects with my future career aims.
A: I’m particularly proud of being a part of the Attraction & Outreach team’s Social Media Careers Strategy. I wrote a benchmarking report analyzing competitors’ engagement across the platforms Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Projecting social media posts against the EA’s strategy was a great creative way to communicate what the EA does and how we can engage different demographics to build up our talent network. I had the opportunity to be a part of the strategy’s working group as its secretariat, working alongside colleagues from different teams and learning from their experience.
A: This year has given me the chance to strengthen my skills in research and analytical skills through projects like the social media careers strategy, learning how to turn data and insights into clear recommendations. I’ve built up my communication and presentation skills by leading sessions and presenting my findings to stakeholders. But looking back across my placement, I’ve found the most valuable growth for me personally has been in my confidence, adaptability, and collaboration skills. Each project has helped me develop new skills, meet and work alongside new people.
A: Being in a role that centres sustainability and its people is really important to me. Working on projects then seeing the real-life changes they make is such a rewarding experience and something that I think is quite unique to find in an internship.
A: Academia taught me how to research and analyse, but my placement taught me how to then communicate and deliver this work. At the EA, I have learnt how to present to different teams and stakeholders, become a part of on-the-ground work and build into organisational strategies. Working collaboratively and being a part of a team brings you into a great support system, but it also allows you to learn from such a range of people and skillsets. Learning from my teams own diverse career paths, their experience, and their advice, is invaluable as I start building my own career.
A: The Environment Agency gives you the opportunity to continuously grow whilst contributing to work that truly matters.
