LAURA CRUMLISH
Cohort 8 – Programme Officer
Name: Laura Crumlish
Current job title: Programme Officer for the Wheatley Foundation, the charitable arm of Wheatley Group
Internship/Placement role: Graduate Management Trainee
Degree: Philosophy
Where are you based: Wheatley House in Glasgow
Background:
I am from Glasgow, and after I finished my degree at Glasgow University, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I hadn’t thought about a career in housing, but the more I found out about Wheatley and the Gem programme, the more I wanted to do it. Wheatley’s values and commitment to helping people lead better lives is a great fit for me, while being part of the GEM programme means I have great development opportunities and can keep learning throughout my career. I started out working in Loretto Care and am now part of the Wheatley Foundation team, as a Programme Officer. The GEM programme also offers fantastic development opportunities and I wanted to keep learning throughout my career.
The GEM Programme
The GEM programme gave me my first step on the ladder at Wheatley Group, and there have been so many opportunities to try new things. The structure of the programme allowed me to learn on the job and experience the different areas within a housing group. The continuous learning and networking opportunities are vast. One highlight was going to the International Housing Partnership Conference in Ottawa. I felt my confidence grow quickly on the programme and it provided a great foundation for me to get a permanent job at Wheatley once my placement ended.
What do you enjoy about your current role?
I love working for the Wheatley Foundation. We support our tenants and customers through different projects looking at employment, education, digital inclusion, poverty and social inclusion and access to sport and the arts. My role is all about monitoring and evaluating projects to make sure they make a real difference and provide really good value for our customers. It is brilliant to be part of a team who are all committed to making a difference, and my favourite part of the job is hearing about the difference the Foundation has made to different people. It is really inspiring.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to apply?
Don’t worry if you don’t have a background in housing – as long as you have the right values and attitudes you can go far.