Finn Howley was part of the Changeworks graduate programme from 2022-2024. Here, he reflects on his experiences at Changeworks…
When I began at Changeworks as part of the first intake of graduate trainees, I was excited by the opportunity to gain early career experience in the environmental sector. I was also excited to work for an organisation that is committed to the mission of reducing fuel poverty and decarbonising homes.
During my time at Changeworks, I gained valuable experience within various teams across the organisation, including Local Energy Scotland, Project Management, Supplier Engagement and Consultancy. These placements gave me the opportunity to work on some really exciting projects; from large-scale retrofit programmes, to community energy projects, to developing Changeworks’ new retrofit agency EcoCosi.
Along the way I developed valuable skills in research, report writing and developing business relationships, as well as dealing with some of the challenges that come with working for a large organisation.
For me, the highlight of the graduate scheme was my placement within the Consultancy team, where I worked on a number of exciting projects setting out a pathway to net zero for housing associations and other clients. This gave me valuable insight into some of the main challenges to decarbonising Scotland’s housing stock while also reducing fuel poverty.
Without doubt, the best thing about working at Changeworks is the people. Upon joining the organisation, I immediately felt welcome and learnt a great deal from the knowledge and experience of my colleagues.
I feel fortunate to have worked with such genuinely passionate people who care deeply about addressing fuel poverty and the climate crisis.