Current Job Title: Sustainability and Compliance Manager
Current Employer: Sky
Current Location: Brentwood
Rebecca Smith
Sustainability and Compliance Manager
"All staff were incredibly helpful. If any help was needed with coursework or to clarify lectures, we did not hesitate to contact our lecturers. My dissertation advisor was extremely helpful in guiding me through the process of my dissertation and providing advice at each step, including sample collection, laboratory, and statistical analysis."
"The expertise of the lecturers was really evident to me and something I found very inspiring; and knowing that I was getting a higher level of education on the subject area I wanted to pursue as a career."
"I was interested in the course due to the interdisciplinary approach. The environmental sector is so diverse and although I knew I wanted a career in sustainability, I was not sure which area to pursue or how to enter the field. After attending the open day, I was sold. The campus was so inviting, and everyone was incredibly helpful. Although I live five hours away, I know I made the right decision choosing to study at Plymouth."
"I found the 24/7 library and computer rooms extremely useful when it came to late night study or coursework sessions. Being at university can occasionally turn you into a night owl so having that resource available was a huge benefit for many students. The PALS session was also very valuable where students from the year above provided dedicated sessions to advise with coursework which they had previously completed. I would really recommend students to make the most of the careers and employability service as I know many students who benefited from this."
"I loved every moment studying at Plymouth, but my favourite memory would be our two-week field trip to Malaysia. We spent one week studying and completing a research project in a primary rainforest, something which I never thought I would be able to do. We also had the option of staying on for two weeks, two friends and I flew to Thailand for a holiday."
"Studying at a campus-based university meant everything was so close and within walking distance, including all University buildings, 1st year accommodation, student houses, shops, the marina and most importantly bars and clubs! The campus had a friendly feel, with lots of sports and social societies to join. Plymouth is a wonderful city, and I enjoyed many trips to the Hoe and the Barbican as well as the occasional trips to Dartmoor. I just wish I made the most of living so close to the sea!"
"I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to do after university, but the course really opened my eyes to the variety of industries and career paths within the environmental sector."
"I found that after being in education for most of my life I was ready to enter the world of work. After applying for lots of roles, I did not have success within the Environmental sector, so I decided to take a role in financial services. This allowed me to further develop transferrable skills such as Excel, presentation writing and data analysis. After two years, I applied for a role advertised by the telecommunication company, Sky, as a Sustainability and Compliance Manager and thankfully I was successful! I have worked for Sky within their supply chain for three years and my role involves compliance with relevant environmental legislation, supply chain due diligence focusing on human rights and conflict minerals and making our products as sustainable as possible."
"The best thing about my role is working on such diverse projects and initiatives that I am genuinely passionate about and know that we are making a difference. Working within Sky’s supply chain means working with not only with our suppliers on a range of objectives but also getting the chance to work with other companies as part of industry initiatives. It’s great knowing that I work in a role, where the things I was taught in my course are implemented at a corporate company."
"As a sustainability and compliance manager, I am expected to have a certain level of knowledge. Environmental issues are becoming increasing important and it is essential to have the technical knowledge to advise. As my role is so diverse, the course really provided a good knowledge base, which I have built on since entering a sustainability role and now feel competent when asked to provide inputs on environmental issues. One other thing that I really liked about the course and have found very useful, was how it taught us to critically evaluate environmental issues and solutions."
Inspired by this story?
For more information about studying environmental science, visit our BSc (Hons) Environmental Science course page. For more information about our range of courses within the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, please visit the school page.
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If you would like to find out what other relevant alumni are currently doing, please visit the marine, earth, geography and environment interest area.
