Next generation insight into the work of the Council’s Economic Growth Team

What were your aims/aspirations from this internship?

I am currently studying Business & Marketing at the Colchester Institute and I hope to base my career around this area.  I wanted to get a general view of working in an office environment, in particular, the areas of management and how each individual is treated within an organisation. My aspiration is to run my own business, however I am uncertain about the right area but I am interested in property development.  It has been a great learning opportunity. I was given an invaluable insight into how property is developed and how it is viewed and dealt with by the public sector.

What did you do?

My month at the Council has consisted of numerous researching tasks, and various visits that have benefited the Council for future projects. Being a part of the Economic Development team has helped me greatly as I have been able to learn about the development of a range of places like, museums and business centres.  I attended different meetings that took place between the Council and potential buyers of Council property as well as learning how the Council currently manages their properties. It was very interesting and certainly an experience I will take with me and make use of in my career.

What did you particularly like?

I have enjoyed participating in meetings and visits with the estate team to Council properties that are planned to be developed as well as meetings with potential buyers. In general, I have learnt a lot of valuable information that has given me a great insight into the public sector and how a Council is run. I was very shocked to see the number of different tasks and time required to go into projects which the public are unaware of. I have also learned about the wide range of properties and land owned by the Council and the specific strategies for each location.

Has anything changed after your internship experience?

My impressions before my internship was that I was going to be given one task to work on throughout my time. However, after working here, I was delighted to experience a wide range of tasks which I have carried out independently. In addition, I have learned so much with the many different meetings I was fortunate to attend. I now have a much better understanding of our Council’s role and the importance of the work performed by every member of staff.  After working within this sector, it is has changed my thought process about starting a business at an early age. I feel it might be more beneficial for me to work in a similar environment like the Council so I can grow my experience and understanding of the areas of business I really want to focus on.

What happens next?

I plan to finish my second year of college and work part time alongside my studies.

The Council’s Economic Growth team have been delighted to work with Josh over the past month and we would like to thank him for his work and wish him every success for the future. The internship was part of the Career Ready programme, which is a UK wide charity linking employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people. Click here to find out more.