Explore Eleanor’s career journey with Youth Friendly Employer, the Environment Agency!
My name is Eleanor, I am 22 and I live in Devon. I work at the Environment Agency as a Water Resources Planner, whilst also studying for an apprenticeship in Business Administration.
My journey at the Environment Agency started after deciding that university was not the right path for me. I was keen to find a job that was entry level but would allow for progression, and my first role at the Agency offered just that. As a Business Administrator Apprentice, my responsibilities included assisting with the Water Quality and Water Resources teams with administrative tasks such as organising meetings and taking notes, assisting with recruitment, and booking travel and accommodation for the teams.
After 8 months in this role, I had gained a good understanding of Water Resources Planning through my work and learning from my colleagues around me, and decided this was an avenue I wanted to pursue. So, I decided to apply for a role in the Water Resources team and was successful! The role allowed me to continue with my administration apprenticeship whilst also developing into a new, technical role at a higher grade.
The knowledge, skills and behaviours I learn on my apprenticeship course cover general skills, so I have easily been able to apply them to my new role. The modules I have covered include project management, communication and building relationships, problem solving and decision making, and technology skills. All that I have learnt during my apprenticeship has provided me with a great foundation and understanding of my organisation and how I can best apply myself at work, both in teams and independently.
Whilst completing my apprenticeship, I am entitled to 20% of study time each week (1 day per week) to work on my assignments and attend workshops. Most of the time I take this as one full day per week, which I dedicate to assignment and project work. I find that this a good balance to allow for the amount of work I am set for my course. A challenge I have had to overcome is to not give in to distractions such as work emails or calls during my study time, and I have found that blocking out time in my calendar is the best way to indicate to colleagues that I am not available for meetings or tasks on that day.
As I am now coming to the end of my apprenticeship, I am starting to consider what I’d like to do next. Now that I have gained more knowledge and confidence in the Water Resources team, I feel I am ready to move into a higher role with more responsibilities and begin a new challenge. I have also begun to consider other apprenticeship courses which will be relevant to Water Resources, such as an Environmental Practitioner degree apprenticeship, or a Data Analysis course.
My apprenticeship has been a great way to meet likeminded people of a similar age, and we have collaborated and worked together well. It is also an opportunity to learn more about the workplace and professionalism, and I would encourage new starters who feel new to this style of work to consider a course like this. It is so much more than just learning about business administration, and it has been a great course for me to develop my skills and confidence.
Being able to work from home is one of my favourite perks of my job as it allows for a great work/life balance and flexibility. The below photo is of my workstation in my new house, which I moved into just a few weeks ago!
Environment Agency Careers
The Environment Agency help to make the environment a better place. Explore apprenticeships, graduate schemes, and routes into rewarding green careers!
Environment Agency
