Lucy joined AQA’s Early Careers programme in January 2023 on the Research Graduate Scheme. We spoke to her about her experiences on the programme.
What attracted you to AQA’s Early Careers programme?
I did a placement in the research team during my time at university, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to come back as a Graduate when I finished uni. The people here are amazing and always want to help you learn and develop – I feel like nothing is too much to ask. The Manchester office has also recently undergone a huge refurbishment, making it beautiful and a really productive environment to work in. There’s also perks such as a gym, yoga studio, and a games lounge.
Can you describe your role at AQA?:
My role as a research Graduate varies massively day to day, but some tasks which I often undertake can include reading academic literature to understand the education system more, literature reviews, and quantitative and qualitative analysis. I could be using Power BI to create visualisations and dashboards, analysing datasets and answering research questions, or running focus groups, creating surveys, and undertaking lesson observations. I’ll then present my results to stakeholders through mediums like slide decks, reports or literature reviews.
What do you like about your role, and where do you see it taking you?
I love the fact that every day is different. One day I could be doing some nitty gritty data analysis, and another day I could be at a school doing a lesson observation. It’s also nice to know that the work I do really feels worthwhile as I know I’m having a direct impact on students’ futures. There are people in my team who have worked their way up the career ladder at AQA, so I can see that there is lots of scope for progression. There are also lots of opportunities to work in different teams where you can get more exposure to other areas of the business.
Could you tell us about a project or piece of work you are particularly proud of?
I have contributed to a lot of work surrounding AI in assessment, which includes looking at generative AI to prevent question paper errors. A particular highlight with this project was being able to present some of my work to 200 associates at a conference. I also recently did my first summer series as a ‘flyer’ where I contributed to creating grade boundaries for the awards, which in turn meant that millions of students got the correct grade on results day.
Finally, what training and support have you received at AQA?
I am undertaking a level 4 data analyst qualification, which takes up 20% of my time, which includes workshops and building a portfolio. I also have regular check ins with my line manager to discuss wellbeing, support, and workload, and have been able to take part in some team CPD which includes workshops and training sessions. All of the graduate and apprentices at AQA also have a mentor in a relevant department who we can use for support.
Interested to find out more about joining AQA on their graduate schemes, head this way.