Name of Student:  Phoebe Ranger

Degree Subject: BA Politics and International Relations

Type of Internship: Green Consultant Scheme

Company Name: Camborne Town Council

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description of Company:  Camborne is geographically the largest parish in Cornwall. Reflecting Cornwall’s diversity of urban areas, characterful villages, and sparsely populated rural areas of outstanding natural beauty. The Council administers an area of approximately 2,800 hectares and nearly 23,000 people live within the boundaries. Although Camborne was formerly one of the richest tin mining areas in the world, it is now among the 2% most deprived areas in all of England. As the Town Council is the tier of local government closest to the people Camborne Town Council is committed to empowering the local community by encouraging town pride and proactively engaging the parish with new community improvement projects.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

The key duties and responsibilities of my internship included producing a 3,500-word report to present to Camborne Council’s Climate Action Group Working Party with the intention of forming the blueprint for a future climate action plan. I was also given the opportunity to attend council meetings concerning upcoming sustainability events as well as discussions with Cornwall Council, the second tier of government for Camborne, on the future of recycling in the county. Each meeting I attended helped me to create a report that accurately reflected the needs and concerns of Camborne Town Council regarding sustainability.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

My final deliverable was in the form of a sustainability report detailing recommendations for Camborne’s Climate Action Working Party to take forward and to consider when writing their 2021 Climate Action Plan. Each recommendation needed to align with the objectives specified in the council’s 2020-2022 Strategic Action Plan in order to support Camborne Town Council’s mission statement and to ensure the needs of the community remained central to all environmental and sustainability recommendations. Camborne Town Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and affirmed its commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of more sustainable practices within the community in order to achieve this ambition had been delayed. The council felt it was imperative that they reaffirm their declaration of a climate emergency and support their commitment to protecting the environment by detailing environmentally responsible recommendations in a sustainability report. My recommendations included making the council building a model for sustainable practice, engaging the youth of the parish through the implementation of a repair café, maximising community carbon sequestration by initiating a local rewilding project and detailing how the council can attract funding for eco-friendly infrastructure projects.

What was your biggest achievement in your internship? 

I was able to present my recommendations to the mayor of Camborne for my final presentation at Camborne’s Climate Action Working Party meeting. Here, I was able to discuss with other party members the details of my recommendations and share my findings on how to create a sustainable future for the town. At the end of the presentation, the Mayor stated that she would like me back to work with the council again in the future.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

Although embarking on my internship was daunting at first, I felt that the Green Consultants training gave me all the tools I needed, and I felt well equipped. Completing the on-campus project beforehand provided me with a good understanding of environmental and sustainable consultancy and I was able to navigate through any challenges using the knowledge I had gained from the programme.

Skills Learnt: 

• Ability to Work Under Pressure
• Organisation
• Decision Making
• Researching
• Time and Workload Management

Attributes Developed:

• Initiative
• Perseverance
• Professionalism
• Confidence
• Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation, or sector?

“If you are considering a similar job role in the consultancy sector, I would strongly recommend taking part in the Green Consultants Programme. I have learnt invaluable skills both through my internship with Camborne Town Council but also through the training and on-campus project elements of the programme. As a Politics student, I began the Green Consultants programme with very little knowledge of the industry, however, completing the scheme has given me great insight into the job role and what to expect from a career in consulting. Through my internship, I discovered my passion for protecting the environment and I now wish to pursue a career in the sustainability sector. Once you have completed the programme you will receive a certificate in recognition of your achievement, and I have found that this is a great talking point in interviews as well as an experience that will make your CV stand out. “