"... having the confidence at times to say, ‘I’m sorry but I don’t have the answer. However, I will do my best to find out’."

Angela

My time spent in the Graduate Program can be summed up as ‘eye-opening’. Prior to working at the PUO, I had no real understanding of energy infrastructure, markets and regulatory frameworks. Working as a Graduate Development Officer at the PUO quickly provided me with an insight into the political, economic, social and environmental implications involved with working in policy development within the energy sector.

Key tasks I undertook through my time in the Graduate Program included preparing Ministerial briefings, participating in Commonwealth teleconferences and ensuring that WA’s interests were – and continue to be - included in the development of national energy policy. The responsibility for a Graduate was at times challenging, however, the biggest lesson I learned throughout the Program was having the confidence at times to say, ‘I’m sorry but I don’t have the answer. However, I will do my best to find out’.

One of the key attractions to working at the PUO was that it is involved with sustainable pursuits and interested in securing clean energy for the State. Having a background in environmental studies, I was interested in the PUO’s holistic approach to addressing the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability.  I was quite keen to discover that the majority of staff ‘practiced what they preached’ by employing sustainable practices in the workplace such as encouraging energy efficiency, recycling and implementing a Sustainability Committee to oversee events such as the ‘Tree-Planting Day’. All in all, I would highly recommend participating in the PUO Graduate Program if you are seeking to gain experience working in the challenging – and often politically sensitive – energy sector.