Exeter Management and Business researcher Melinda Szocs has recently completed a placement with the Welsh Government. She was kind enough to share a little bit about her experience with us:
“I have spent three busy months working with the Welsh Government offices in Cardiff (between February- May 2018). I was based in the Education and Skills Research Team in Knowledge and Analytical Services and worked as part of a team of social researchers. My responsibilities included a literature review on the topic of employability of older workers, as well as analysis of secondary data from the National Survey for Wales results, and further exploration labour market data from Office of National Statistics using NOMIS. In addition, I have also consulted with key stakeholders on the topic of employability of older workers in Wales with the aim of writing a report on the existing evidence in the area, identifying evidence gaps and producing recommendations to close those gaps. The report entitled ‘Employment opportunities for people in Wales aged 50 and over’ was completed in May and the produced findings and recommendations which are currently under consultation with policy-leads.
I would highly recommend for anyone wishing to do a placement or an internship with the Welsh Government to go for it. It has been a very rewarding experience with a very welcoming environment and plenty of opportunities to apply research skills as well as learn on the job. Participating in the Welsh Government internship also helped with better understanding how government works, use of evidence in consultations and policy-making.
For those interested in policy related jobs after completing their PhD, getting relevant experience working as part of civil service could represent an excellent starting point.”
Thanks Melinda, we’re so glad you found this beneficial!