Environmental Science & Sustainability Undergraduate Programmes 2020 2020 Entry | Page 19

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY | 19 Careers All organisations, from private business to local government, increasingly need to engage with environmental issues; hence this is a major area of employment opportunities both in the UK and overseas. Our environmental degree programmes will prepare graduates for a broad range of environmentally-focussed and non-environmentally-related careers, including careers in non-governmental organisations, charities, local and regional government, environmental management and environmental regulatory bodies, research and industry. What did you study at Keele? Applied Environmental Science with Physics What was the highlight of the course? The Second Year field trip to Bordeaux Current Employment Graduate Energy Consultant, Wardell Armstrong (environmental consultancy) What did you do after graduating from Keele? I was offered my current role whist I was still in my Third Year. What does your role involve? The role is very diverse and covers topics including Environmental Impact Assessments for renewable energy projects, wind microclimate assessments and climate change statements. CHRIS WILSON, ENVIRONMENTAL ALUMNUS, SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE OF STUDYING AT KEELE UNIVERSITY What influenced your decision to study the course? I was always interested in the environment and how it is impacted by society. I felt the course would offer me the chance to learn about a wide range of topic areas which are very important in today’s society. Also, the course would allow me to learn practical skills. What skills and/or experience did you gain? I gained a variety of skills that cover a broad range of subject areas. The third year module of GIS was particularly useful with the skills learnt being applied daily in my current job. I enjoyed learning how to perform water quality tests, methods behind data collection and analysing the results. The field work reinforced what I had learnt in lectures and valuable experience that is applicable to my current job. The course improved my knowledge of mathematics with specific focus on statistics and data handling. How did the course prepare you for your next job? It gave me a wide range of skills and knowledge in subjects that are relevant for my job. It also helped me develop my report writing skills which is a large part of what I do on a daily basis. Were you involved in any club and societies at Keele? While at Keele I was heavily involved with the Badminton Club as well as playing football in my third year. In my second year I was elected Charity Secretary of the Badminton Club where I organised events and ran a half marathon. In my third year Movember Student Ambassador which involved organising the campaign, getting people to sign up and promote the charity’s causes. These roles allowed me to work alongside the Student Union staff and helped me gain valuable experience. keele.ac.uk/gge