One of the lovely things about this time of year is that most schools and colleges release their A-level students for a few days of work experience. I'm in the privileged position of being able to receive some of those students, and for the past three weeks, I've had students shadowing the work that I and my team do both in Westminster and Chelmsford.
I receive a LOT of applications for work experience, and I'm so sorry that my team and I don't have the capacity to accept more. Thank you to everyone who applied and showed an interest in learning more about an MP's role and how politics really works day-to-day. At the end of their time with us, we ask the students to write a paragraph or two about their experience. Below are four of those testimonials, in their own words.
Amelia's Experience: A Week Split Between Westminster and Chelmsford
Spending a week split between the Houses of Parliament and the Chelmsford constituency was an unforgettable experience that has given me a fascinating insight into how the UK's democracy operates in practice. I applied for this work experience because I wanted to learn more about politics and public service; it has exceeded all my expectations.
From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the atmosphere of Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, as well as the House of Lords, walking through the historic buildings, guided by Marie Goldman's assistants. Seeing where important national decisions are made was inspiring.
Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to observe the day-to-day work that takes place behind the scenes. I attended the House of Commons ministerial questions, learnt about the roles of the MPs and their assistants, and gained a better understanding of how legislation is developed and debated.
Watching Parliament in action showed me that much more happens than what is seen on television, with countless people working together to support the democratic process. One of the most valuable aspects of the placement was meeting people with varied professional backgrounds. Speaking to members of staff about their careers provided me with the possibility of the many different parliamentary routes and the wide range of roles available; their enthusiasm and willingness to answer questions made the experience even more rewarding. The placement has also helped me develop important skills, including communication, professionalism, confidence, and organisation.
Working in a professional environment encouraged me to ask questions, engage in conversations and discussions, and to think more critically about current affairs. I left with a much greater appreciation of the dedication required to support the work of the Parliament.
Overall, my work experience at the Houses of Parliament has been enjoyable, beneficial, and educational. It has strengthened my interest in politics and public service, whilst giving me valuable skills and knowledge that I can take forward into my future studies and career.
I would highly recommend this opportunity to anyone interested in how Parliament works and experiencing one of the UK's most historic institutions firsthand.
Evie's Perspective: Seeing the Hectic Schedule of an MP
This past week, a classmate and I were given the opportunity to have a placement with our local MP, Marie Goldman. This gave me the opportunity to speak with people within politics, how they got there and their experiences. For the first two days, we were in the House of Commons and viewed the work that happens behind the scenes, along with the hectic schedule of MPs. Watching ministerial questions was probably my favourite part about those days, as it showed how the system is set up and how Parliament is held to account by backbenchers and opposition parties.
Specifically, I saw the Work and Pensions Secretary being questioned about failures within the system and seeing how MPs bring up specific constituents' issues. Alongside watching questions, I also saw the announcement of the increase in defence spending, which was weird to see a BBC notification on something I had witnessed hours earlier.
Seeing the changes and levels of scheduling that go into one day, within moments, changes happen, and suddenly you're doing something unplanned at the beginning of the day, an example being witnessing the Liberal Democrats responding to Baroness Amos' investigation into maternity care and the failures of the system. An MP questioned the secretary in the Commons on the systemic failure.
This offered insight into how MPs spread awareness in a digital age, alongside traditional media. For the next three days, we worked in the constituency office, seeing how employees deal with casework and again the levels of work within that. It was surprising to see the limits to an MP's powers, but they are still able to make change and use soft power to push cases forward. Alongside that, my classmate and I wrote a script for a video on social media, which is much harder than expected, as you have to balance information with keeping people engaged.
From this work experience, the most surprising thing was the levels of engagement between MPs and constituents, with the levels of work centred around that aspect. Even though the policy aspect is also central to an MP's work, I find representing the people and standing up for them more important, and the level of work that is put into that was larger than expected.
Overall, this work experience has taught me something that an A-level Politics lesson could not: the day-to-day life that those in politics lead and all the work behind the scenes that goes into democratic institutions.
George's Observations: Contrast Between Tradition and Modern Politics
The work experience placement with Marie Goldman has been an insightful and engaging week to remember. Spending time in Westminster gave us the opportunity to meet politicians, listen to debates in the House of Commons, and see the work of Select Committees.
Through this, I gained an insight into the breadth and depth of Parliament's work and learned more about the role of MPs and their staff. What I found most interesting was the contrast between the historic building and deeply embedded parliamentary tradition with the modern ideas and work of politicians. Later on in the week, I spent time in Chelmsford at the constituency office and City Council. Attending a City Council meeting, I learned about the functioning of local government and the role of MPs in supporting local initiatives.
This revealed how much of an MP's work takes place outside Westminster, and the importance of local government in driving impactful local change. Overall, it has been an incredibly enriching and useful placement from which I have gained experiences that will most certainly support me with future employment.
Jake's Insights: Understanding How MPs Are Scrutinised
Spending work experience with Marie has been an incredible and enlightening experience. It has helped give me a better understanding of what an MP actually does.
During my placement week, I commuted to Parliament on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in which I attended many different events and meetings, including oral questions, a select committee meeting and many others. I also attended a Make Space for Girls meeting, which gave me a much greater insight into how girls are deprived of areas for them within parks and how our parks are mainly catered towards boys.
Furthermore, seeing firsthand how the government and ministers are scrutinised allowed me to really understand what I've learned about in class. I then spent Thursday and Friday in the constituency office, where I learned about the work that goes into dealing with constituents' issues, how the MP engages with the community, and how the MP and her team deal with casework issues.
I also attended a council meeting on local issues within Chelmsford. This gave me a deeper appreciation for all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure Chelmsford is a safe and thriving area.
Overall, the experience I have gained from spending the week with Marie has been extremely educational, and I am incredibly grateful for being given this opportunity to shadow Marie and see what she does day to day.
