Christopher H.
About me
| Christopher H. | |
| History | |
| History | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2018 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Policy Officer (Skills and Stakeholder Engagement Lead) | |
| Central London Forward | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Government and civil service | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2020 |
More about Christopher
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A day in the life of a Policy Officer (Skills and Stakeholder Engagement Lead) in the United Kingdom
The biggest tip is to make sure to get involved with as much as you can while at York. It's never too late to get involved
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for Central London Forward (CLF), a sub-regional strategic partnership for central London between 12 local authorities.
CLF aims to improve the lives of residents by working together to drive inclusive growth within the central London area. We work with our boroughs to develop policy, programmes, and to lobby regional and national government on their behalf.
What do you do?
I work within the Policy team at CLF, where I lead on our Skills and Stakeholder Engagement activity.
Primarily my work involves:
-Supporting the Employment and Skills Board. This Board sets the strategic direction of our employment and skills work and is led by Council Leaders and Chief Executives. I ensure the Board runs smoothly, I write papers and proposals for the Board, I manage stakeholder's engagement with the Board, and ensure the board is briefed on the latest developments. I work closely with the Board's chair, the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, who represents CLF on our employment and skills work.
-I work with Skills and Employment Officers from all of CLF's member local authorities to progress projects which form part of our Skills Strategy.
- I lead on developing CLF's policy and lobbying in relation to skills (and other areas on an ad hoc basis). For instance, I am currently developing our response to the Government's Skills for Jobs White Paper.
-I lead other projects, such as leading on the development of an Outcomes Agreement in central London's Health and Social Care Sectors.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
During my second year at York, I successfully applied for a paid internship through the Student Internship Bureau (SIB) at City of York Council. Whilst there, I worked on the Older Persons' Accommodation Programme, which sought to overhaul care provisions in York. This was a valuable experience and steered me to a career in local government. I recommend having a look at the SIB if you're interested in undertaking an intership, there's some great opportunities on there.
Subsequently I applied for the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) which is ran by the Local Government Association. But there are also many councils who run their own independent schemes. I was successful and was placed at Barnet Council . While there I completed three placements across the council in Adult Social Care, Assurance, and Strategy. The graduate scheme is great for employment opportunities and development. Councils on the scheme will usually allow you to tailor your experiences to gain expertise in areas of interest, and the LGA provide training through a programme - where at the end you achieve a Level 7 Diploma in Leadership & Management.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I knew that I wanted to work in the public sector, and was actively seeking employment in central or local government.
Describe your most memorable day at work
I've had quite a few memorable days - every single Employment and Skills Board has a lot of preparation work behind it and it's always a relief when they run smoothly. But one of the most memorable days was taking part in a workshop for people with autism and their carers, it was a valuable experience to understand their frustrations with the social care system, and has definitely shaped my mindset when approaching my work. Local government needs to place the needs of the service user at heart of everything we do.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
I started my current role during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been quite difficult for me adapting to working from home, this is not something that comes naturally to me. Just trying to set up a bit of space that I can use as an 'office' and talking to my manager (who helped me to understand that it's ok to take regular breaks!) has been super helpful.
In terms of the role itself, I work with lots of different stakeholders, from politicians, to local government officers, other government bodies, employers, and skills providers. It can be really tricky navigating their different, and sometimes competing priorities.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
CLF is an incredibly friendly organisation. I'm looking forward to being back in the office to properly meet my colleagues. We have meetings every week that are there just for us to all chat and check in on each other, and monthly fun activities. They are all very supportive and helpful.
Working hours are well balanced. You're reminded to not work late, and if you do can usually take the hours off elsewhere when you're less busy. There are definitely times when there's big spikes in activity and it can be a bit hectic then!
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
At University I was on my college's JCRC. This was a useful experience, and the organisational skills devleoped from it helped me to secure my internship.
I also was Interim Editor-in-Chief of York Vision. We only had a few days to get an edition of the paper out when I came in, that really intense experience has definitely been helpful in showing me how to work when under pressure.
What would you like to do next with your career?
For the next stage of my career, I would be looking take a more senior position and possibly management responsibilities. I'm keen to continue in the public sector. I want to lead on projects in policy areas of one of my areas of interest (social care, skills, employment, organisational strategy)
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
The biggest tip is to make sure to get involved with as much as you can while at York. It's never too late to get involved! I didn't do too much in my first year, and only joined York Vision in my third. All of the things I did at York were incredibly valuable experiences.
When it comes to applying for jobs, make sure you're tailoring your application to the jobs specification. Think about what useful skills you've learnt from your experiences, and what your key achievements were. (And don't be afraid to show off a bit!) Also, always read more about the organisation you're applying to - look at their strategies, and current projects. With local government jobs - have a look at their committee/cabinet papers, there's some really useful information in there.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
The NGDP, local government jobs, public sector work, applications & CVs
Next steps...
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