Chris Cahill

Current Graduate 

One of the main reasons why I chose to apply for the Graduate Development Programme at Yorkshire Water was the opportunity to do numerous placements in various different parts of IT, which would enable me to choose a career after the programme.

Another attractive element of the programme was the chance to take a wide range of both internal and external courses, such as finance and project management.

Since I joined the programme in September I have had lots of opportunities to develop in different areas from leadership and teamwork to project management and presentation skills. All of the placements I have been in so far have required a mix of these skills, All this practice should prove invaluable when I start my substantive role.

Being part of the Graduate Programme means that no two weeks are ever the same, partly due to the graduate opportunities which exist outside of the day-to-day role. At the moment for example, whilst my main role is project management, I am also organising events with the British Computer Society, attending high level strategic IT meetings and organising the induction process for the new graduate intake.

As it is such a big employer within Yorkshire, Yorkshire Water is very keen to punch its weight in the local community. Graduates are really encouraged to get involved with this. A few months ago, as a Water Business Unit graduate and I organised a team day to give a new lease of life to a school garden in Huddersfield as part of the 'One Million Green Fingers' initiative.

When I joined the programme (in IT), I was given a lot of responsibility from an early stage and this is definitely the case with my present placement! I am currently managing a large project aiming to deliver a substantial cost saving to Yorkshire Water. I have found this role highly challenging but at the same time very enjoyable due to the responsibility and the opportunity to put theory and skills learnt so far on the programme into action.

Chris works in IT