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Art's Story

Prior to joining the graduate scheme I achieved my BA and MASc at Warwick. In my first placement I was lucky enough to be based in Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE) who I’d had the privilege to work alongside before in an events assistant capacity so it was fascinating to look behind the curtain at the operational side to see how they bring enormous events to life with such a compact team. I was very much finding my feet in this placement and am very grateful for how supportive the team and the rest of the grads were to me in this time – I learnt that it’s always better to ask more questions than less as people truly don’t tend to mind and that will help you so much for when you are faced with a similar challenge in the future. I worked with my manager to deliver a large event at Warwick’s Innovation Campus in line with the university’s 60th Anniversary and this project taught me a lot about how to understand and incorporate competing strategies and priorities from key stakeholders.

Having long loved all things culture and heritage, it was an absolute dream to have my external placement be at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. I was tasked with developing a Home Education programme for the museum and had the chance to not only look at the longer-term strategy for this but also design and deliver workshops myself. This was nerve-wracking and really tested my confidence in not only my creativity but also my public speaking skills, as I had never planned or run workshops for young people before.

In my third placement I was back at the university but this time in an academic department, Psychology. I project managed a research project of which the highlight was a community event held at a local community centre in Coventry which managed to twine together research-gathering, celebration, and NHS signposting in an accessible and meaningful way for the attendees. Working on a co-produced project has taught me a lot about stakeholder management and how to go with the flow on projects that are being actively shaped as they are happening, which is a skill that is useful in daily life too!

Alongside these placements I have been lucky enough to get involved in other parts of the university which has allowed me to meet even more people and gain additional skills. My proudest additional contribution to Warwick has been through championing inclusion by co-chairing WIE’s Inclusive Engagement Learning Circle.

Art Dobber

Current Graduate Management Trainee

"My proudest additional contribution to Warwick has been through championing inclusion by co-chairing WIE’s Inclusive Engagement Learning Circle".

Michelle Tsang

Current Graduate Management Trainee

"Understanding more about how universities work was something I was keen to explore after my master’s and the graduate scheme has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to get a flavour of working in teams across departments whilst also developing transferable project management skills."

Michelle's story

I started my journey at Warwick as a student, completing both my BA and MA in History at the university. Throughout my time as a student, I was involved in the work of various departments, supporting projects in Inclusive Education, Student Community Experience, Widening Participation, the Warwick Arts Centre and more. Being involved in the work of different departments was something I really enjoyed. It gave me some exposure to the work of professional services staff at Warwick and the important work that goes ‘behind the curtains’ to keep the university running.

For my first placement, I wanted to challenge myself and try something new by working in an area that I had no prior exposure to before. I was based within the National Centre for Research Culture developing a positive action programme to support aspiring Black researchers to progress their careers. I created a database showcasing career development opportunities for Black researchers across the UK, helped to run a competition for Warwick researchers to travel to Stellenbosch University in South Africa as part of a short-term research exchange and collaborated with researchers at GlaxoSmithKline, the British Geological Survey and the University of Oxford to run networking and research opportunity events for Warwick students and early career researchers. This placement gave me exposure to strategic decision-making, cross-institutional collaboration and scope management which compliment both the Project Management qualification the graduate trainees are undertaking and aspects of the Emerging Leaders programme.

For my next placement, I will be weaving together project management with my interests in History and museums through working with CV Life who manages the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery, Coventry Transport Museum and the Lunt Roman Fort. Whilst this placement will be external, I look forward to maintaining my connections with Warwick through regular community sessions with the graduate trainees and getting involved with the wide range of events and opportunities at the university.

Jamie's story

I applied for the scheme because it was an amazing opportunity to receive high quality training and development, whilst learning from and contributing to the wide range of work which happens at Warwick.

My first placement was in the Community Engagement Team, where I managed a piece of work focused on improving the offer of activities for local young people within Canley (an area of Coventry immediately next to the University).

I worked in the Facilities Team for my second placement, managing a project to improve the sustainability of Warwick’s furniture usage, which provided a great opportunity to get involved in the operational management of the campus. The impact of this project was an expansion of furniture re-use on campus, as well as of donations of furniture to local charities and community groups. In February 2033, this project won a Warwick Wow award!

Thirdly, I went external to the University and worked for an SME (small-medium enterprise) called MSL, who provide comprehensive digital membership management solutions to student-focused organisations worldwide. I managed a suite of business improvement projects, from cyber security to financial management systems. This experience accelerated my professional development and equipped me with new knowledge and skills to bring back to the University.

My final placement is in the Policy and Public Affairs function, which will provide an invaluable insight and experience of stakeholder management and the broader context within which the University operates. It promises to be an incredibly interesting and varied placement, and I look forward to making the most of every opportunity it presents.

I could not recommend the scheme enough to anyone thinking of applying! It offers you personalised support and challenge, helping to develop you as a leader.

Jamie completed the scheme in September 2024 and is now continuing to work at Warwick as Senior Policy and Engagement Adviser in Public and Policy Affairs Strategy Group.

Jamie King

Previous Graduate Management Trainee

"Warwick is a fascinating and exciting place to work, and the scheme is the perfect opportunity to learn from and contribute to a world-class university. My advice – go for it!"

Beth Russell

Previous Graduate Management Trainee

"I think it’s useful for all who are interested in this scheme to know that you do not need to be immediately out of university to qualify for this scheme, nor do you need to have studied at Warwick. Our group of trainees had a variety of education and work experiences. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore project management and employment/leadership in the Higher Education sector. You will meet many great people and experience a variety of opportunities and challenges. I am so glad that I applied to this Scheme, what an incredible time it has been"

Beth's story

Following my BA in English Literature, MA in Creative Writing, and a couple of years working in education institutions, I realised that I find joy and fulfilment in a job which has space for creativity but also requires process, organisation and logic. I discovered Warwick’s Graduate Scheme, and it was the perfect opportunity for me: the chance to explore multiple roles and departments/teams while in fixed employment, additional learning opportunities (including a Project Management qualification), and numerous development opportunities (such as a Leadership course). Moreover, Project Management is a flexible and widely applicable role, and, with the help of the Graduate Scheme staff, I have been able to enter into placements that suited my passions and ambitions.

My four placements and responsibilities were: the Institute of Engagement where I co-organised a three-day festival on campus; a local digital Studio called Yellow Panther where I account managed the build of a client’s app and the development of a piece of software; Widening Participation (WP) where I led three projects to improve provision, and access to the provision, of Outreach and WP events for young people; and the Warwick Arts Centre where I organised a wealth of community events and carried out research projects to aid engagement with target groups.

I’ve had incredible experiences in each of my placements, and achieved more than I thought could be possible in this amount of time. A huge achievement was winning Apprentice of the Year 2023 from the Coventry Freemen’s Guild, and another key achievement has been building wonderful working relationships with colleagues across the university and with external stakeholders. The tough moments for me were the transition between placements. Leaving a team that I had been embedding into for 8 months to start afresh with a new team, often in a department or context unfamiliar to me, was nerve-wracking. In these moments, I relied on my connection with the other Graduate Trainees and the support of the Graduate Scheme team, and I also made an effort to stay connected to my previous teams. Whether that was socially or connecting an element of my new work with their work. Over time, this helped me create a brilliant network across the university, which is a huge advantage in my day-to-day work.

We have been encouraged throughout the Graduate Scheme to take advantage of and seek out additional opportunities. For example, I became a Fellow of the Institute of Engagement and volunteer co-chair of a working group to improve inclusive engagement at the university. I have spoken twice at a university conference and helped organise many additional events and activities outside of my role. I attend university conferences as often as possible and have attended two external conferences as key opportunities to deepen my learning in a variety of subjects including Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and the Higher Education sector.

Beth finished the scheme in October 2024 and continued to work at Warwick as Public Engagement Project Officer in Warwick Institute of Engagement, before relocated in Wales and continuing their career in event management.

Michelle's story

I am a dual national citizen, born in South Africa and raised in England. I have a master’s in physics, and prior to joining Warwick worked as a Cybersecurity Sales engineer (think sales but a bit more technical). When I left University and made the conscious decision to move away from Physics and academia, I had no clue what I was looking for (just that what I had been doing wasn’t it).

I began looking for a scheme that was varied, but not prescriptive. A lot of graduate schemes narrowed you to a specific path (finance/HR/legal) and I knew that I wanted to try a little bit of everything- so when I found the Graduate management scheme at Warwick it sounded perfect. It gave a good balance of skills and a qualification to fall back on (the APM PMQ), but enough variety that I could start finding out what it is I liked and was good at.

I joined the scheme in October2021, and since then I have working in Warwick Innovation District in their Health and Wellbeing Incubator as their Innovation Coordinator, in the Regional Strategy Group as part of their Community Engagement team, in an external company called White Chalk as a project manager and in my final placement in Student Experience looking into Student Transitions. I think the thing I most struggled with was the worry of constantly moving- new manager and management style, new team and team behaviours, new job, new work environment. However, with support from my other grads, skills from the graduate scheme development programme and a bit of personal perseverance I was able to not just overcome this- but turn it into a strength! It’s tough being the ‘new kid’ but I managed to get there!

I have loved not just being a part of the placement teams but going beyond that and delving into the world of Warwick. I’ve been able to secretariat a piece of institutional wide work looking at Warwick’s Values and Behaviours, volunteer at Buckingham Palace to help with their Gold DofE presentations, speak at a WIE network conference on public outreach, help with a student school day to showcase the opportunities to female-identifying students from a WP background, volunteer as a book in the Human Library, organise the Civic Dignitary hosting as a part of our Graduations and participate in the running of the Resonate Lates and Taskmaster events ran by the Institute of Engagement. I have even been able to share good practice by talking out about my own experience of graduate recruitment, by taking part in a focus group looking at socially inclusive recruitment practices.

Michelle completed the scheme in October 2024 and is continuing to work at Warwick as Student User Experience Officer in the Education Group. Michelle is currently completing a secondment opportunity in Warwick Digital Academy.

Michelle Watson

Previous Graduate Management Trainee

"The graduate scheme at Warwick has been able to help me narrow down what it is I like, what it is I am good at, and what it is I can get paid for- and through that find what I would like my future career to look like. This is invaluable, and has set me on a path that I never thought I would find (much less enjoy)."

Roshan's Story

Previous Graduate Management Trainee

Roshan's Story

During my first placement at Warwick, I was lucky enough to work between the Regional Team in Strategy and the Social Sciences Impact Team with a focus on developing the relationship between our Faculty of Social Sciences and both Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council.

This placement culminated in two developmental workshops which brought together senior council leadership and academics from the faculty to begin identifying areas of collaboration and developing a clearer understanding of where the University could align its social science expertise and impact to make a practical difference to some of the challenges facing Coventry and the West Midlands.

My second placement at Warwick saw me working in the WMG Research Office supporting with the REF2021 submission. This involved working closely with academics to optimise their 100-word impact and significance statements for their outputs as part of the final REF submission.

Both placements offered an incredible insight into the academic excellence and diversity present throughout various parts of the university and provided an opportunity to work with amazing people across different teams and institutions.

During my 12 months at Warwick, I was lucky enough to experience working both centrally and within a department, interacting with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. From hosting the Mayor of Kenilworth at a graduation ceremony, to presenting to a member of the Executive Team at Coventry City Council, the variety of opportunities has been incredible.

Now that I’ve completed the scheme, I was overjoyed to receive an offer to stay on at Warwick working as a Project Officer as part of the STEM Connect Team and have been promoted to Assistant Registrar in this project team.

Quite honestly, I don’t see myself working anywhere else!

Laura's Story

Previous Graduate Management Trainee

I started at Warwick in September 2018. My first placement was in the Strategy Group working alongside Head of Government Affairs to support the development of a new Policy Function and other activities including organising a three-day, University-wide ‘HE Immersion Programme’ for the Department for Education. My final placement was in Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA), focused on developing the architecture for a new web portal for Teaching staff at Warwick.

The colleagues I had the opportunity to work with were all incredibly passionate about their work which made it a really positive environment to work in. Staff were always happy to share their insights and offer guidance or support wherever they could.

As a grad at Warwick, I really valued the support offered from my mentors, programme and placement managers – rather than just focusing on the work my immediate team, they encouraged me to take up opportunities to support my wider professional development. The nature of the Grad Scheme allowed space for me to attend courses on project management, workplace skills and behaviours and leadership development

Upon completion of the scheme, I worked in the Project Management team and now work as a Research Officer in WMG.

Laura McGowan

Previous Graduate Management Trainee

"I was made to feel welcome at Warwick from day one of the Assessment Centre and throughout all of my placements with the different teams I worked with."