Legislative Studies and Practice Programme Blog: RaISe
The Legislative
Studies and Practice Programme was established in 2009 to provide
university graduates with the opportunity to experience working in the Assembly
and get a peek behind the curtain of political life in Northern Ireland. The
Programme runs in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and is part of a
Master’s qualification in Legislative Studies and Practice. Students contribute
fully to the work of their placement office and use their experience to
undertake original research leading to the development of a dissertation.
Now in its
eighth year, this series is taking a look at the current
group of students and finding out how they are adjusting to their
placements in the various working environments of the Assembly. Having already heard
from Ross
Graham in the Bill Office and the students
working in the Committees, we now catch up with Jessica Galway and John
McCaul who are working in the Assembly’s Research and Information Service (RaISe).
Jessica Galway
As an East Belfast native, Parliament Buildings
and the Stormont Estate were a familiar sight for Jessica. After studying
Government and Politics at A-Level and English and Politics at Queen’s
University, Jessica gained a greater understanding of what was happening on her
doorstep and a desire to find out more. The LSP Programme provided just the
opportunity to gain an invaluable insight into the functioning of the Assembly
and a chance to put the theory she had learned into practice.
John McCaul
John has studied Modern History and Politics at
Queen’s University and, through the British Council NI’s Study USA Programme, also attended Warren Wilson
College in Asheville, North Carolina. John learned about the LSP Programme
from previous alumni and was excited at the prospect of being placed in the
Assembly and the chance to enhance his analytical, researching and
communication skills.
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