GCU and North Lanarkshire Council provide graduating student with internship

A paid internship with North Lanarkshire Council has helped boost a recent GCU graduate's confidence as she steps into the world of work.

MSc International Business Management student Lisa Marie Tamburrini spent four weeks with the council’s Resilience Planning Team thanks to a partnership with GCU.

Before studying at GCU, Lisa Marie completed an Undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering. After deciding to head down a different career path, she was delighted to get the chance to gain valuable experience alongside her degree and has since started a new role with engineering company Amey.

We sat down with Lisa Marie to hear more about her time with North Lanarkshire Council:

What appealed to you about getting involved in the internship?

“An email was sent to risk management students and it basically set out the job role and deadlines for applying. I felt this would be a good way for me to narrow down what area of business I was interested in and whether I’d be more interested in operations management or risk management. I was also really keen to get as much experience as possible.

“I like risk management because I enjoy the process of it all and find the theory side of it interesting, in terms of how there’s a plan for lots of different situations.

“The placement focused more on generic risk rather than resilience.  I really learned a lot on my placement though; more than you can learn on Google or in a classroom! Getting that experience is so important.”

Why did you want to complete work experience with a local council?

“I think it’s something I didn’t ever think would be an opportunity. I didn’t realise North Lanarkshire Council would have a Resilience Planning Team. It was really surprising to see that they operate as a mainstream corporate business as well as a council – they even had their own legal department. It all makes sense but because you never get an insight into how a council operates you don’t really expect it. It was really good for me to see.

“I didn’t ever expect an opportunity like this to come up. There was nothing like this even during my previous Undergraduate degree. I was really impressed that GCU care enough and provide these opportunities to their students.”

Tell me a bit about what was involved in your role with the Resilience Planning Team?

“There was lots of meetings that the team have to attend around different areas in the local community and planning for different points throughout the year. It also gave a real insight into the national issues that are then brought to a more local level.

“I worked under the Resilience Planning Officer, Naomi. She was great as a mentor and manager – that support really did help me a lot. There are a lot of acronyms used within local government, and she always took the time to explain them and break everything down. Everyone was really approachable if I needed help and they always checked up on me. I felt like I was always in the loop, which meant I felt more like a colleague than a student.”

You’ve now moved into a new Operation Business Graduate role with Amey, do you feel your experience at North Lanarkshire Council helped you prepare for this next step?

“The whole experience throughout the month really did set me up for my graduate job. I feel like I now have that confidence to ask questions and that it’s okay not to know everything.

“My role at Amey isn’t really related to resilience planning but I do think I’ve taken a lot of the knowledge from my time with North Lanarkshire Council into this role, especially around actually being in a workplace.”

Would you encourage other students to consider getting involved in an internship or placement alongside their studies?

“I think it’s really important and one of the biggest regrets doing my Undergraduate was not seeking an opportunity like this. I’m so proud that I actually pushed myself to do this.

“I think the important thing to remember is that even if you don’t end up getting the role, it’s still great experience to apply for opportunities and get interview experience. I also think it helps relax you when you do come to working in an office because you have more of an idea around what to expect.”

GCU Employabilty Manager Ruby Lawrence added: “Here in GSBS (Glasgow School for Business and Society) we are keen to build innovative partnerships with local government so as to create exciting pathways into quality employment for our students.

“Working for a local authority can be a rewarding and diverse career route, and the fields of risk and resilience planning are growing. We were delighted to work with North Lanarkshire Council to promote this unique placement opportunity, and Lisa Marie has done GCU proud.”

By Ross Clark                  
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter