This is a guest blog by James Buchanan.
Who are you, what are you studying, who did you do your placement with, and how did it come about?
My name is James, and I am a third-year Marketing student at UWE Bristol. I carried out my placement with Bristol City Leap, a partnership between Bristol City Council and Ameresco that will invest £1 billion into the city’s energy system over the next 20 years. The aim is to accelerate decarbonisation through projects such as heat networks, solar farms and energy efficiency upgrades.
I secured the role through the UWE Bristol Careers 148-hour internship scheme, applying for a position in the Social Value and Communications team. Before applying, I went to the UWE Bristol careers CV workshop, which helped me land the role. The application process was supportive and straightforward, and I began working two days a week alongside my studies. Later, I was able to extend this into a full-time summer role, giving me seven months in total with a great team.
What projects did you work on over the placement?
Over the course of the placement, I focused more on marketing and communications, linking my studies to the work I was doing. The highlight was contributing to the development of a marketing plan for Bristol City Leap. This allowed me to apply academic theory in a practical setting and explore how marketing could support the organisation’s growth.
I also worked with Revive, the electric vehicle charging network for the Southwest, where I supported the asset registry and helped shape a communications plan to be launched in the future. Community engagement was another important part of my role. I assisted in organising a community exhibition in Avonmouth and South Bristol for a proposed solar farm. As well as helping plan three engagement events with residents about to undergo Social Housing retrofitting.
Beyond project work, I joined the Community and Wellbeing Committee, helping to plan staff socials and strengthen internal culture. I also attended the Bristol 24/7 Better Business networking event, where I met sustainability-focused organisations from across the city. Soon, I will also attend The Green Mingle, hosted by the Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, which will allow me to stay connected to Bristol’s sustainability network.
What skills did you develop during the internship?
The placement allowed me to develop a range of professional skills. I became more confident in communications and event organisation. I built stronger project management skills, learned how to collaborate effectively across different teams, and gained experience in balancing tasks and prioritising when needed. On the commercial side, I developed an understanding of how marketing links to sales and business development.
Perhaps most importantly, I developed a deeper understanding of the importance of city-wide decarbonisation, seeing how solar farms, EV infrastructure and housing retrofit all fit into a long-term strategy to reach net zero.
How has this placement helped develop your career?
This experience has been an important step in my development. I now have hands-on examples of how marketing operates within a sustainability-focused organisation. It has strengthened my CV, given me clarity about the type of roles I want to pursue after graduation, and increased my confidence as I move into my final year.
What would you say to any student considering a placement?
If you are a student thinking about a placement, I would say take the opportunity. You will learn more about your skills and career interests than you ever could from lectures alone. It is one of the best ways to gain confidence and understanding of yourself.
As a placement host, how did having James working with you help your business?
“Hosting James as an intern over the summer was a genuinely rewarding experience for many of us in the team at Bristol City Leap. It was inspiring to see how his role evolved, particularly as he transitioned from working two days a week to a full-time after the official UWE internship ended.
The increased capacity allowed him to engage more deeply with our projects and contribute meaningfully to the development of a much-needed marketing plan, an essential step in expanding our impact across the city.”
Emily Walker-Smith – Bristol City Leap
Any final words!
Looking back, my time at Bristol City Leap has been rewarding and enjoyable. I developed skills, worked on meaningful projects, and built connections within Bristol’s sustainability network. Most importantly, I feel more confident about my future career and am proud to have contributed to projects that will benefit the city for years to come.