Personal Statement - Jade
I am Jade and have been working at Hounslow Council for over a year. I graduated from Loughborough University with a Geography BA (Hons). I was particularly interested in the NGDP programme, as I wanted to make a difference in the community and start a rewarding career in the public sector.
Why Hounslow?
I chose Hounslow as I aspired to share my lived experience and local connection to the borough implementing this into my day to day. I was also attracted to Hounslow because of the five values: lead with heart, harness the mix, do new, be a rock and pass on the power.
My work so far?
My first placement was in the Programmes and Change Team. During this placement I worked on supporting the delivery and creation of the Hounslow Youth Skills and Employment Guarantee. This programme of work was interesting, as it allowed me to work with services across the whole organisation and external partners. I led on the engagement with hard-to-reach groups, which involved carrying out focus group discussions and organising workshops which fed into the co-design of the Guarantee.
My second placement was in the Climate Emergency Team working on drafting the Nature Recovery and Air Quality Action Plan. In addition, I was able to work in the field carrying out monthly air quality monitoring across the borough. I was able to get a better sense of how Hounslow are tackling Climate Change issues and working towards Net Zero. I have gained leadership and management skills from these placements.
