OverviewFor too long the culture of unpaid internships has meant that people who are unable to afford these opportunities for real work experience are frozen out of politics in general and Parliament in particular.

The Speaker’s Parliamentary Placements Scheme is a cross-party initiative aims to tackle this by providing a nine month paid work experience placement designed to open up Parliament to people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are interested in politics but who would not be able to afford to undertake an unpaid internship.

“I believe passionately that parliament should be representative of society as a whole. It should be accessible to people from all kinds of backgrounds. The Speakers Parliamentary Placement Scheme is one initiative which will help open the door to parliament to people who may not have been able to access

parliament because of their background. I very much welcome the scheme and

wish it continued success.”

COntents

MeSSage FroM rT Hon Hazel BlearS MP 4

2012-13 CoHorT 6

THe reSulTS 10

SuPPorTerS 11

A messAge frOm

mr speAker

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“The Speaker’s Parliamentary Placements Scheme is great and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It has provided me with an excellent opportunity and it is now down to me to make the most of it.” ellen, 2011/12 candidate

A messAge frOm

rt hOn hAzel BleArs mpThe Speaker’s Parliamentary Placement Scheme is now in its second year and so far has given 19 young and (not so young!) people the chance to come and work in the House of Commons for MPs across all three main parties.

The placements run from october each year for a full Parliamentary Session until the

following July, enabling those on the Scheme to experience all aspects of Parliamentary life and

legislative activity.

Participants are placed with their MP from Monday to Thursday each week and on Fridays

they have an extensive training and personal development programme with the House of

Commons. They undertake a range of activities, from learning how a Bill is made into law and how research and statistics are compiled by the library service, to undertaking outreach with the public and education service, together with public speaking and organisational skills.

This year we are arranging for those on the Scheme to visit some of our supporting companies to gain an insight into corporate life which will be tremendously important for their future development and career prospects.

As a result of the very generous financial and other support of our sponsor organisations we have been able to pay everyone on the scheme a proper wage and have also been able to provide them with local high-quality and affordable housing, almost a miracle in central london!

This is a fabulous opportunity for those who are passionate about politics to have a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience life at the heart of the British political system.

I originally established the programme because I was concerned about the similar backgrounds of those currently entering political life from all political parties. I wanted to give people from less well-off backgrounds from outside london, who certainly could never afford to take an unpaid internship, the chance to be part of our political life and hopefully to bring with them new ideas and ways of thinking which can benefit us all.

on the following pages you will see the stories of some of those who have been part of the 2012-13 Scheme. I hope you will agree that their enthusiasm and commitment is inspiring and gives us all great hope for the future. none of this could have been done without your fantastic support and I would like to say a heartfelt and personal thank you to you for believing in my idea, backing it with practical help and being part of something that I know can make a real and lasting difference to our politics. I hope you will continue to be part of this exciting project and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Warmest regards rt hon hazel Blears mp

this is a fabulous opportunity for those who are passionate about politics to experience life at the heart of the British political system.

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the peOple

Angie AssistAnt tO rt hOn ed miliBAnd mpI had no idea what my future held and, after college I worked in retail until landed a job in a Summer Camp in america. Whilst in america, I found that keeping on top of current affairs in the uK was a great way to feel like I wasn’t abandoning home. It also made me realised that I wanted to become more active within the labour party. as I hadn’t studied politics and because I didn’t have the means to do an unpaid internship, I thought would never get a career in the political sector and so this Scheme seems nothing short of a miracle to me. ed is my political idol and I wake up every day excited to get to the office. I hope this will lead to a role with an MP or within the labour HQ, but whatever happens I imagine this will be the favourite role I ever have.

COrrine AssistAnt tO dAmiAn hinds mpI moved from norfolk to Scheme, before which I was completing my a-levels and working part-time at Matalan. My main want from the Scheme is to learn and experience as much as I can; I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so I want to take advantage of the Scheme. In Damian’s office I undertake a range of tasks, which vary from research and analysis to correspondence. a lot of my time is spent working on various projects; my favourite so far has been the Social Mobility aPPg Character and resilience Summit which I helped organise and spoke at. The Scheme has confirmed that university is not the right path for me and I would like to find a full-time job either in london or in norfolk at the end of the 9 months.

dAvid AssistAnt tO rt hOn hAzel BleArs mpI come from Fife, in Scotland where I grew up in a working class family and was the first in my family to attend university. I was delighted to be accepted onto the Scheme and I have learned a great deal during my time so far. I’ve enjoyed accompanying Hazel to meetings and doing work on issues such as dementia and social mobility. as I have asperger’s Syndrome, I have organised an autism awareness event in Parliament, which was a great opportunity. Being on the Scheme has enabled me to develop as a person and to see how Parliament really works. It’s also made me challenge myself and to develop my own political views and have the courage and confidence to speak on a variety of issues.

ellen AssistAnt tO mAry mACleOd mpBefore I joined the Scheme, my opinion of Parliament, MPs, lords and everything they symbolised was a world where somebody like me could not possibly fit in. However, now that I have been working here for some time I have learnt that with drive, commitment and aspiration there is scope for me to achieve so much. With Mary, I have been working on projects encouraging entrepreneurship amongst women, events celebrating International Women’s Day and I am leading a project which aims to integrate a supported housing scheme within the wider community. The Scheme has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to develop my career and I am using my time here to gain experience in everything that Parliament has to offer.

Christine AssistAnt tO JuliAn huppert mpI left school at 16 with good grades, but for reasons out of my control I had to work full time and financially support myself. Since then, I’ve worked in several admin roles, which left me feeling unfulfilled and unchallenged. When I saw an advert for the Scheme, I applied and was shocked beyond belief to be successful! I never thought I would get the chance to work for an MP in Parliament, drafting speeches, writing to constituents, organising events and so on. It’s been an amazing and eye opening experience so far. It’s built my confidence and taught me so many new things already, and I see that continuing throughout my placement.

“I couldn’t ask for a better team in Parliament” Christine, 2011/12 candidate

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iAn AssistAnt tO stuArt Andrew mpWhile working in Stuart’s office, I am responsible for a varied range of tasks from producing press releases and briefings, drafting letters to constituents and managing his website. I am also organising a Careers Fair for job seekers in his constituency, Pudsey. I am finding the Friday placement in the House of Commons’ library invaluable in this respect as it has given me a totally different perspective of the work I do in my MP’s office. Through the Scheme, I hope to gain a good knowledge of how Parliament works and experience as many different aspects of life in the House of Commons as possible. So far, the Scheme has been an amazing experience and has strengthened my ambition to work in politics.

riyAdh AssistAnt tO rt hOn CArOline flint mpI’m half Welsh and half Iraqi and my passion has always been politics. I applied for the Scheme for the opportunity to work in the public sector, which I think is the best way to make a difference. The Scheme has given me immense courage in my abilities, which I feel is the first step in breaking the barriers that prevents ordinary people from working in Parliament. The Scheme is a wonderful opportunity for people from my sort of background to actually make a difference and emphasise that everyone can play a part in the political process. The Scheme has really made a difference to my life, I am forever grateful to the supporters of this brilliant opportunity!

mAtthew AssistAnt tO dAn JArvis mp I applied to the Scheme as I was, and still am, deeply interested in politics and current affairs and have aspirations to become an MP myself. Whilst in college, I became an active Member of the uK Youth Parliament and was constantly looking for opportunities to work with an MP but many were looking for candidates who either had experience of working in Parliament or could work unpaid, so I was overjoyed when I found the advert for the Scheme at the Job Centre. I have immensely enjoyed my time on the Scheme and whilst I have found tasks challenging – it has been extremely worthwhile and it has definitely helped to increase my confidence and I most definitely want to pursue a parliamentary career.

surAJ AssistAnt tO fiOnA mACtAggArt mpBefore joining the Scheme, I had my own business. I’ve always thought about working in the ‘field’ of politics, but never did I think that I would get the opportunities that I have received through the Scheme. Before starting, I wanted to know what politics was really like, and whether it was for me. I wanted to know whether I would be happy doing such a job in the future as a career. I also wanted to gain and develop skills that would be useful in the world of work in the future. Being in the initial stages of the Scheme, I have already started to gain the skills and get answers I was looking for. I am not completely sure what I would like to do after the Scheme finished. Going into public office may be a goal – not for the ‘glamour’, but for the ability to change people’s lives and to make a difference.

“I’ve enjoyed developing new skills as well as being opened up to a vaster range of political viewpoints.” Matthew, 2011/12 candidate

“I feel privileged to have been accepted onto the Scheme” riyadh, 2011/12 candidate

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the results the suppOrtersThe nine successful candidates on the 2012-13 Speaker’s Parliamentary Placements Scheme have settled into Parliament very well since october 2012. Their initial two weeks were spent with the House of Commons training teams, where they were equipped with the skills and knowledge of the daily working life in Parliament.

after this, the nine started their role as ‘assistant to MP’, undertaking duties such as case work, diary management and organising events. on Fridays, assistants rotate around departments within the House of Commons, which helps to further their knowledge about Westminster politics and the ins and outs of government.

100% of Assistants rated their experience in the MPs office as either ‘Very good’ or ‘good’ and all are happy with the level of support, training and encouragement that they receive in their office. Overall, all assistants are very pleased to be working for their MP, have settled into their offices well and are enjoying the tasks that they are being set – some are even being given extra responsibility such as running the MP’s office for a week or being presented with individual projects to undertake.

The assistants are also supported through attending Friday placements with sponsoring firms and organisations of the Scheme to learn more about different careers and are given further support through gaining professional CV advice and being offered a Buddy and a life Coach in Parliament to help make the most of their time on the Scheme.

at the moment, the majority of assistants noted that they want to continue working for an MP and whilst some others were unsure, alternatives include working for the House of Commons or in the charity sector.

2011 – 2012 resultsAfter a successful first year of the Speaker’s Parliamentary Placements Scheme, we are pleased that four assistants from last year’s cohort are still working in Parliament: two with MPs and two with the House of Commons.

100% of Assistants rated their experience in the MPs office as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’

“It is amazing. It’s my dream job and is living up to expectations” angie, 2011/12 candidate

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COntACtthe social mobility foundation: speakers@socialmobility.org.uk

rt hon. hazel Blears mp: hazel.blears.mp@parliament.uk

speakerscheme.co.uk