Daisy Spence

I applied to the Tees Valley Combined Authority Summer Internship to work with the Investment development team. A team that is responsible for identifying regional investment priorities and opportunities, supporting the development of projects that will contribute to transforming the region for the better. Having an opportunity to be a part of the work that contributes to this has been immensely rewarding.  

Initially, I decided to apply for the internship for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a great location that is easily accessible for me as I live in Darlington. I was also interested in an opportunity to work within a regional authority, especially within a region I grew up in. It was valuable experience being able to see how data is read and presented concerning the region. As well as exploring how this gets passed through the organisation to make important, positive changes for residents of the Tees Valley. 

During my internship, I carried out my own project which would eventually present economic activity in the region. This involved using QGIS programming to map ward level economic data by age and other demographics. Some of this data was even used in an important workshop, informing the Get Tees Valley Working plan. Eventually, I compiled all the data into a report and slideshow which made data on economic activity in the region readable and accessible. 

All the interns were given an opportunity to go on a bus tour for the day around the Tees Valley to see important projects taking place and how they are going to progress. This included visiting the Teesworks industrial site. We were all blown away by the scale of the site was and its potential for investment opportunities in Teesside. 

I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with the Tees Valley Combined Authority and see how skills I have learnt and developed at university can be implemented in an office environment. It has also taught me new, transferrable skills which have enabled me to network with so many people across teams and other businesses and authorities. It has given me an insight into what I would like to do in my career and gave me a foundation for the skills necessary to do so. And ultimately, an opportunity to enhance my qualification for future employment endeavours. 

I would happily recommend the summer internship to anyone who is looking for immersive work experience, whilst at university. It is an insightful and valuable opportunity to be involved in work that aims to make positive changes within the region.