Rowan Whitham

I decided to apply for the TVCA Internship Programme because I was searching for opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge I had gained from university into a workplace setting and I knew that TVCA would be able to offer a unique experience that no other place in the Tees Valley area could provide. As I had just finished my second year of study, gaining more work experience was my top priority before I begin my final year. 

During my internship with the Legal and Governance team, I dealt with a wide range of tasks on a daily basis which included tasks such as writing reports, researching new and evolving areas, reviewing policies and updated them for use by TVCA, assisting with Freedom of Information requests, helping the Governance team with TVCA’s Freedom of Information requests Disclosure Log and so much more. Having to handle a wide range of tasks really helped me develop my multi-tasking abilities, my time management skills, my research skills and taught me how to deal with internal and external stakeholders. 

I also attended various meetings about the many different projects that TVCA are leading and involved in. These meetings were a real eye opener into how many people across the whole Combined Authority it takes for these projects to operate effectively.  

The Legal and Governance team are very kind and friendly people who went out of their way to make sure that I was doing well whilst I was at work and were always happy to help me if I was confused or stuck with a task. This team really made my time here at TVCA special and I will always remember how they treated me and apply that in my future when dealing with new people both in a workplace and in everyday life. 

My time here at TVCA has further solidified my interest in Law and has helped me to continue aspiring to work in this field of study. I really found that I have been able to apply what I have learnt at university into a workplace setting as well as gain invaluable knowledge on areas both previously known and unknown to me. 

I would gladly recommend the TVCA Summer Internship Programme to anyone who is looking for real working experience and an insight into how the Combined Authority operates. Overall, I have really enjoyed working at TVCA and will forever cherish the experience I gained over my time there.