For the sixth year running, our Director of Sustainability Paul Miller has been accepted by RIBA to join its voluntary student mentoring programme, ‘Future Architects’.
Over the course of two months, Paul will host sessions with three student architects from the University of Bath to focus on:
- CV and portfolio
- A day in the life
- Building visit/virtual tour
The programme aims to give RIBA student members an insight into the realities of practice while encouraging them to think about their future careers. Students receive guidance and support from an experienced architect while the mentors – who are either Chartered Architects or from a Chartered Architects practice – develop their own leadership skills with the next generation of architects.
This is Paul’s sixth year of mentoring as part of the programme, and his third year with students from University of Bath. Commenting on the RIBA mentoring role, he says: “The benefits of mentoring to both parties are many and varied, spanning personal as well as professional development. As a mentor, while I share the experience I’ve accumulated in my career, I also learn as much as I’m giving. It’s a fascinating role that enables me to fully understand the challenges and opportunities facing today’s students, so I’m pleased to be taking part in the programme again.”
In the past, Nash Partnership has provided internships and summer placements to architecture and planning students from local universities, providing them with a more rounded experience of the built environment. Work experience has also been offered to local school students considering a career in the built environment. These opportunities have enabled the practice to support improvements in confidence for young people by providing hands-on experience and preparing them for future professional environments. For our organisation, it allows us to nurture potential future employees and demonstrates our commitment to social responsibility and community development.