Since 2017, Gillian has welcomed numerous people to do work experience in her office. If you are interested in finding out more, please email [email protected].
I’ve had an amazing time interning in Gillian’s office this past year. Gillian and her team have been incredibly friendly and hospitable, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I’ve spent my year learning about Parliament and gaining a variety of new skills, including report writing and social media management. I’ve particularly enjoyed editing Gillian’s social media videos and attending events on local and national issues.
Another highlight for me has been exploring Chichester and the surrounding areas, as West Sussex is such a beautiful and unique part of the country. This summer, I will be moving back up to Scotland to join the Civil Service and I am positive that the training and knowledge that I’ve acquired in my internship will be invaluable to me in my new role. I’m incredibly grateful for the training and opportunities offered by Gillian and her team and I will undoubtedly miss everyone in the parliamentary and constituency offices.
I would like to say a big thank you to Gillian and her offices for going out of their way to make me feel so welcome in the team and offering me practical job training and career advice. I would highly encourage everyone to undertake an internship or apprenticeship to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and gain new skills and friendships.
Mary Lynch, Faith in Politics Programme
For two weeks I have been on work experience in Gillian Keegan’s office. It has been an extremely exciting and historical time to be in Parliament every day. During my work experience I have spent a large majority of it preparing Gillian’s event briefings for this years Conservative Party Conference, although I was a little unsure at first everyone was keen to help me and I got myself involved.
Making Gilllian’s conference pack included doing things like; arranging meetings for her and liaising with different companies to find suitable times during a very busy diary, finding agendas for her panel events and doing background research on the topics she is speaking about. I also did some work on cross-reference and it was really interesting to see how it all worked.
When I first started Parliament had just been prorogued so, as expected, it wasn't very busy and things were quiet-ish. However things started to get a bit more hectic when it was ruled by the supreme court that the prorogation was unlawful. The House began sitting again the day after, which was very exciting as I didn't think I would get to experience this during my time in the Commons.
My whole experience working in Gillian’s office will definitely be something I remember. Gillian’s team made me feel so welcome and I felt comfortable with them as soon as I started. I've definitely learned a lot of things from these two weeks that I can take forward in many different aspects of life!
I would definitely recommend coming to have work experience in Gillian’s office if you get the opportunity!
Amber Tatum, politics student
Having an avid interest in both politics and law has recently made it somewhat difficult for me to decide with certainty as to which career path I wish to pursue. I have already had the privilege of working within legal firms and therefore wanted to acquire experience working within the parliamentary sphere in order to make an informed decision moving forwards.
I was fortunate to spend the first day of the week-long work experience within the Chichester office before spending the remainder of the week up in Westminster; I therefore observed the running of both the constituency and parliamentary offices. This gave me an insight into the different requests and demands of each office as well as the slightly varying feel/culture that they possess.
The experience was both enjoyable and informative and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in pursuing a career in politics. I am very grateful to Gillian Keegan and the rest of the team and cannot thank them enough for providing me with this amazing opportunity.
Oliver Vickery - constituent
When my work experience with Gillian at Westminster was confirmed, I was delighted. It certainly lived up to my expectations, and more. Walking across the Parliamentary Estate and recognising familiar politicians and sitting in on a Commons debate was amazing. Working with Gillian and her excellent team has proven to be more than exciting with the fast-paced work. From researching statistics and essential information for briefings to attending Gillian’s meetings – this truly is a great opportunity for anyone interested in politics.
For me, it was a great insight into how much work goes on behind the office door. There was always something going on in the office, and something interesting or important that someone was working on. A day in the office could involve going through Gillian’s post, cataloguing constituents’ emails, research, planning and communication for speeches, events and meetings.
Overall, the experience has given me a real perspective of how MPs, like Gillian, work in Parliament; their responsibilities and tasks, but also, I have worked alongside the great team that are constantly planning, researching, writing and logging information for her. Gillian and the whole team have made me feel very welcome and included - and I was overwhelmed by the responsibilities they have entrusted me with. Also, the team have been great when I have needed support, asked questions about my work and how to get around Parliament. Having completed my work experience with Gillian and her team at Westminster, I now feel more knowledgeable about following a career path in politics and all the opportunities that it offers. For anyone thinking about a future career in politics I would highly recommend applying for work experience with Gillian Keegan.
John Blanding - 21 year old, constituent
I thoroughly enjoyed my week in Westminster. It started off with meeting Gillian’s staff, all very welcoming and lovely. To start with, I was given a research project on the pressing issue of climate change. I needed to find out some facts and figures on the issue and future plans to prevent or reduce the impacts. This project was to brief Gillian before she spoke to groups such as Extinction Rebellion, and EcoChi answering their questions.
The second day had me reading constituents emails and showed me how many emails she receives on a daily basis, on all sorts of issues. Towards the end of the second day, I was asked to take notes on a meeting where Gillian was addressing two carers, who worked in a care home and was listening to their stories. This showed me how much Gillian connects with the public and does everything she can to meet the their needs (not an easy task considering how many opinions come flying her way).
On the third day, I was asked if I wanted to enter the House of Commons. I gladly accepted, and listened in the chamber, to MP’s try and put forward different bills. One being an environmental bill which will help with flooding reservoirs.
As the week progressed, I felt I was becoming more a part of Gillian’s team. So, overall, the week’s work experience was not only eye-opening but it was very enjoyable, and showed me how much politicians have to deal with at one time.
Luke Sherren - 17 years old
After a long time desire to work in the world of Westminster, my week of work experience has given me a further insight into how Parliament works, as well as to give me a hands-on experience in the Office of Gillian Keegan.
I was lucky enough to watch a panel of the Women in Work All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), of which Gillian is Co-Chair. From this, I gained a better understanding of the function of APPG’s, whilst learning about how women, as well as social and ethnic minorities, can connect and receive support through affinity groups in the workplace.
On the same day, I was able to sit in another APPG meeting, but this time for the APPG on Motor Neurone Disease. My task was to take notes about what the MPs and specialists were discussing so that I could relay this information back to the office. Attending such events increased my awareness of the role that APPG’s play in the workings of Parliament, whilst also letting me gain access to an abundance of new information about both areas, which otherwise I would have been oblivious to.
Later in the week, I was tasked with writing a briefing for a meeting regarding recommendations for the Domestic Abuse Bill. I was then given the opportunity to see the briefing in action, attending the meeting with Gillian and representatives from the charity Women’s Aid. This week I was also able to draft letters for constituents, enabling me to see more of the fantastic work of those in the Chichester community.
During my placement, I visited the House of Commons chamber, where I witnessed a debate on the need for further devolution of powers to devolved administrations, allowing me to see the role that Parliament and MPs play on a national scale.
By Stephanie Holmes - 17 years old, student at Chichester High School
My week at Westminster kicked off quickly on Monday learning about the inner workings of a parliamentary office. Seeing how Gillian’s amazing staff deal with constituents’ problems, helping them personally or directing them to the someone who can. On my second day I helped to work through the overwhelming amount of invitations that Gillian receives on a daily basis which really showed me how hard she works to try and meet as many people as possible.
On Wednesday I got given a chance to help pull together some ideas for an article that may go in the paper in a few weeks. This made me feel like a part of her team and cemented my beliefs that I want to go into parliament one day whether as staff or as an MP.
I also got the chance to watch a live debate in the House of Commons Chamber. The Bill MPs were discussing was the Fisheries Bill, that I learnt is important for our constituency because of Selsey.
By Dylan Collier - 16 years old, student at Bishop Luffa
As someone who has been inspired by Gillian’s path to a political career, I have thoroughly enjoyed spending a week in her office in Westminster. There was never a moment where I didn’t have something interesting to do, and as I completed my work experience during Parliamentary recess, I felt I was able to really help in the office whilst other members of staff were away. I was responsible for mailing out letters to inform constituents of Gillian’s thoughts on current Brexit negotiations, as well as filing letters and emails from constituents.
As someone who will be studying a politics degree in September, this week has been invaluable, and has confirmed to me that I would love to work in the Houses of Parliament in the future. I am extremely grateful to Gillian for continuing to offer work experience, and to Juliette who organised my week here. After hearing of friends who were disappointed by their work experience, I am thrilled to have been lucky enough to have spent my time in Parliament feeling as though I was part of Gillian’s team and learning a lot about the workings of British politics. I hope that I will be able to return soon!
By Anna Sutton - 18 years old
