A Q&A with Mya Andrews, our Black Geographers Work Experience Placement

Our company Delta-Simons is proud to be a Careers Partner for Black Geographers. This initiative aims to tackle the lack of representation of black people within the geography and environmental sector. Our responsibility as the Careers Partner for Black Geographers is to promote equality, diversity and inclusion internally and across the Environmental Sector. 

This is the third year we have been a partner, and over the last three years we have hosted a series of free workshops including panel discussions to share what we do as a business, what the role of an environmental consultant is, and the variety of disciplines within our different environmental divisions. This year, we provided comprehensive guidance around CVs, covering letters, interviews and using LinkedIn. This supported members to apply for placements and prepare them for job applications. As part of our ongoing partnership, we also offered two work experience placements for Black Geographers members to apply for, offering a brilliant opportunity to gain valuable experience in the sector, across multiple areas of our business. 

At the end of April, we welcomed our first Black Geographers placement, Isabella Bromfield. Isabella spent two weeks in our London office and you can read about her experience here. Our second Black Geographers placement is Geography Student, Mya Andrews. Mya had the chance to support with live projects in the office, collaborating with multiple people across the business, as well as getting out and about on a site visit. We asked her to share a little about her experience, what she got up to and how she found it useful.

What are you currently studying and where?

I am currently studying Geography (BA) at the University of Liverpool, and have just completed my second year.

Why did you decide to apply for the placement at Delta-Simons?

I decided to apply for the placement at Delta-Simons as it was an amazing opportunity to learn more about environmental consultancy, how it actually works in practice, and the different branches that I wanted to know more about. 

The application process was straight forward, and the information booklets provided a clear insight into Delta-Simons’ ethos and an introduction into the environmental sector. I didn't know anyone working within this field, and had never had the chance to experience something like this, so when I saw the placement advertised with Black Geographers, I had to go for it! 

Can you tell us a little bit about what you have been doing during your two-week placement?

In my first week, I spent a couple of days with Senior ETS Consultant Aaron Drury, and he introduced me to Transactional ESG. I had the chance to collect data, with regards to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG0 themes, and have a go at completing my own Delta-Simons in-house Benchmark Assessment.

I then had the opportunity to complete a Phase 1 Environmental Assessment in relation to contaminated land. I assessed various planning, regulatory and historical data sources, including Envirocheck and Google Earth, regarding a residential asset in Bath. I was supported on this by Isaac McKenna, a Graduate ETS Consultant.

Later on in the week, I spent a day with Ella Brown, a Graduate Consultant from the Water Team. I completed a flood risk 'Due Diligence' works, and wrote a flood risk advisory note to support Phase 1 reporting. I used online EA mapping and reviewed Local Authority third party reports. Being able to get involved in the different teams at Delta-Simons was extremely interesting and valuable, as these are all things that I have never come across before, and it has opened my eyes to career pathways that I had never even thought about. 

I also spoke to a number of lovely staff in the office, and through Teams, including Associate Alex Perryman, with regards to water services and his career progression. I also spoke with Hannah Greenway, from the Sustainability and ESG team, about what sustainability entails, and the key concepts of the role. In addition to this, I spoke with Graduate Consultant Ed Carr, from the Environmental Planning team, and he gave me an overview of the acquisition of Delta-Simons into the Lucion Group, and where the Environmental Planning team sits within the company. He also gave me insight into his career development, and due diligence in preparation for a site visit.

I was given the chance to go on a site visit to a shopping centre in Birmingham, with Ros Harwood, an ETS Consultant. This was for EHS due diligence for a new retail lease. This was an invaluable experience, as it put into practice what I had learnt the week prior, and allowed me to have an overview of EHS management at the Site, and review EHS documentation. 

What have you enjoyed most during the two weeks?

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a lot of people in the office, and being able to chat about career progression. Although I was only in the office for a short time, I was made to feel as though I was part of the Delta-Simons family, which was really nice. 

How do you think the placement will help with the rest of your studies?

The placement will help with the rest of my studies as it has given me a completely different outlook and perspective on what I can achieve. It has given me the opportunity to explore a potential career path within environmental consultancy, which is really exciting

What are your future career ambitions?

After graduating, I am wanting to go on to study a Masters degree in a related field. After completing my masters, I am hoping to enter the world of environmental consultancy, with a focus on sustainability. 

On Mya’s placement, Senior ETS Consultant, Aaron Drury commented;

“Mya has spent two weeks working between the Manchester and Leeds offices, and we have been truly impressed by her attitude and worth ethic. Mya gained valuable experience supporting with ESG workloads and assisted with several Phase 1 Environmental Assessments, including a site walkover. Mya proved to be an incredible team player in her short time with us, and I have no doubt that Mya will have a very successful career in the environmental industry should she choose to pursue this!”

If you’d like to find out more about the resources we developed for Black Geographers, they can all be accessed and downloaded here. Head over to our careers site to find out more about working for Delta-Simons and the wider Lucion Group.