A young care leaver in Trafford who recently completed a degree in architecture has been gaining valuable experience on work placements brokered by his local job club.
Aiden Goode went along to Stretford Public Hall’s job club to get ideas for gaining a foothold in the competitive planning and development industry.
At the job club, Elaine Dawson, Employment Support Officer, at the Council’s Inclusive Economy and Communities Team, told him about potential opportunities with Greengage.
The company, which has close links with the Council, works with businesses and organisations on their sustainability ambitions and has a base in Piccadilly, Manchester city centre.
Aiden was able to secure a two-week placement at Greengage – and thanks to his new contacts there, a second two-week placement at LDA Design, a partner to Greengage, also in the city centre.
The combined four weeks of experience will give Aiden great insight and experience before he starts his masters degree, also at Birmingham University, in September.
Trafford Council runs seven job clubs each week across the borough. Since September 2023 they have supported 1,600 people, helping 340 to get new jobs and many more take up training, education and volunteering.
Aiden said:
“I didn’t know what to expect before I began the placement at Greenage. I researched the company before I got started, to help me find out more about what they did.
“Every day was different. I attended events, conducted research and met clients. I carried out whole-life carbon assessments on buildings old and new, inputting data into specific data systems, as part of a live Greengage project for a new housing development happening in Gorton.
“LDA was also really welcoming and coming from an architectural background, was really interesting to gain some experience in landscape architecture. I did some research for projects in Newcastle and Liverpool and attended a knowledge exchange meeting about planting design, spatial methods and project insights.”
Aiden continued:
“This is all good to put on my CV as it’s been difficult to get jobs or experience as there is such a high demand for placements and jobs in the sector. Lots of my university peers are struggling to get anything after their degree. I’ve had to be proactive in looking for opportunities.”
Helen O’Curry, Principal Consultant at Greengage, which is also working with the Council on its green careers agenda, pictured above with Aiden, said:
“Aiden was confident and keen to get involved. He supported both me and the wider team. It’s been really positive to have someone who is enthusiastic about pursuing a career in architecture join us for work experience.”
Support for Aiden shows how Council colleagues and partners can work together to offer one-to-one support and help local people progress in their careers.
Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration said:
“It’s great to see young people such as Aiden do well and proactively take advantage of the opportunities out there, and that the Council and partners can offer.
“Our job clubs are a great place to start – and welcome people of all walks of life, at all career stages. Our advisers are there to assist, with a wealth of experience, contacts and suggestions.”
Aiden’s experience is a great example of ‘corporate parenting’ in action. Corporate parenting refers to the shared responsibility of the council and wider partners to act like a good parent for cared for children and care experienced young people, giving them the support, opportunities and guidance they need to progress in life, just as any parent would for their child.
Cllr George Devlin, Trafford’s Executive Member for Babies, Children and Young People said:
“This shows our teams working with partners to go the extra mile for a care experienced young person. As corporate parents our motto is, ‘Would this be good enough for my child?’ and central to that is making sure that young people who have grown up in our care have the same life chances as other young people.
“By working together, we can open doors and give young people like Aiden valuable experience as they make their way into the world of work.”