“The Mayoral Internship has been transformational for my personal and professional development. 

I’ve gained insights, skills and competencies through a range of unique, hands-on and high-quality experiences. I’ve developed competencies in political communication, media communication, policy analysis, policy-making, senior stakeholder engagement and commercial awareness, to name the most pertinent. During my internship, I attended various high-profile events with Mayor Andy Burnham, including the BBC Hotseat- where I made a brief appearance!, an event with the Ambassador of Finland on homelessness, I participated in a roundtable with the Children’s Commissioner, met with The Chair of Social Mobility Commission and The Mayor of the West Midlands,  as well as attended a meeting with the CEO of Jaguar and Land Rover.

My responsibilities included writing briefings for The Mayor, letters on behalf of The Mayor and compiling Board Reports and documents for various senior officials. I also engaged with stakeholders through business, networking and media events. My understanding of politics and policymaking has significantly deepened, particularly due to the unique governance framework of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority(GMCA), which holds substantial power to effect community change.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful for the invaluable knowledge and experience I’ve gained during this internship and it has definitely equipped me for my next professional role.  I highly recommend the John Smith Centre internship to anyone eager to grow their understanding of the world of politics, or trying to figure out what careers might be suitable to them. I am so grateful for this valuable opportunity.”