Me & My Shadow: a day with an MP
It was a very different type of dress-down Friday for 19-year-old Nicole Creasey last week, as she donned a neon jacket, goggles and hard hat to tour a National Grid site with Caroline Nokes MP.
As part of our Me & My Shadow scheme, Nicole from Southampton, spent a day with the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, learning more about the busy constituency work of a politician and gaining valuable work experience in the process.
And what a busy day it was. Aside from spending time in Caroline's office in Romsey, Hampshire, Nicole also visited a local National Grid site where she learnt about important infrastructure projects and how an MP can champion them.
As part of this visit, Caroline and Nicole talked to National Grid about the transition to net zero and the way all regions of the UK can be involved in the energy transition.
Nicole said: "I had a brilliant day shadowing Caroline. It really helped me to learn more about the different types of career opportunities out there. It was a lot of fun visiting the National Grid site, too. A really varied day – and one that taught me so much. Living and working with epilepsy can be difficult, but shadowing Caroline helped me think more about the future and my career goals."
Caroline Nokes has been the MP for Romsey and Southampton North since 2010 and is the Chair of the Women's and Equalities Committee in Parliament. Having been a vocal supporter of equality and anti-discrimination throughout her time in Parliament, Caroline was only too happy to sign up to the scheme.
Caroline said: "It was a great opportunity to have Nicole shadowing me for the day. I hope she found the day interesting, but importantly I discovered an enormous amount from her, about living with epilepsy and how it impacts her. Epilepsy is a condition I felt I knew too little about so I am very grateful to the Epilepsy Society for facilitating this opportunity."
Nicole's placement with Caroline was the second of our Me & My Shadow placements, which give women with epilepsy the opportunity to "shadow" for a day leading figures from media, politics, charities, sport, health and business.
Through the scheme we hope to build confidence and ambition in women with epilepsy and encourage them to think big. The current scheme is aimed at women between 18 and 35, but we do hope to expand to other ages and genders in the future.