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Rachel Barker, Regeneration Manager, 2005 Programme Intake
BA Geography, Cambridge University
"The English Partnerships Graduate Development Programme was an excellent way of opening up a career based upon what I had learnt at university.
Since starting on the programme, I have discovered lots more about the regeneration industry and had the chance to see this from many different perspectives – including the public and private sectors and from different areas of the country.
It’s hard to summarise all the opportunities that have been available throughout the two years on the graduate programme. The programme has an emphasis not only on developing technical knowledge through experience of project delivery and postgraduate study but also on ‘competencies’ such as communication, team work and partnership working. Developing these skills in addition to my technical knowledge was essential to get the most out of all the opportunities that the programme offered.
A few of the highlights have included helping in the assessment of the Design for Manufacture bids at Aylesbury, preparing the marketing materials for a proposed residential site in Peterborough, assisting at Community Open Days whilst on placement with an RSL and attending meetings with MPs when on placement with a Regional Development Agency. There were fantastic opportunities to get involved with a wide variety of work which meant that placements and often individual days on the Graduate Programme were very rarely the same!
Throughout the scheme I was incredibly lucky to have worked with supportive colleagues who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the work that they do and who were willing to share their experience.
The range of English Partnerships’ work and the opportunities in the wider regeneration sector mean that each placement and project brings new things to learn, new experiences and new challenges. This has made my time on the Graduate Programme and my subsequent time with English Partnerships incredibly rewarding.
Having now completed the Graduate Programme and successfully applied for a permanent role with English Partnerships, I can really see the benefits of my two years on the programme. I am now the project manager responsible for the delivery of 1,310 homes in Milton Keynes, alongside responsibility for a variety of smaller projects.
The pattern of learning has continued beyond the graduate scheme and I now enjoy the opportunity to maintain contact and learn from those that I met whilst on placements as well as sharing the experience of the projects that I now work on."
© English Partnerships 2003-2008