As part of the annual LARAC Scholarship Programme, sponsored by REPIC, we invite suitably qualified LARAC members to apply for a Scholarship place to attend our LARAC UK Conference in Birmingham. This year, 23 successful scholars joined our conference, as our 20th cohort!
At our annual 2-day conference the LARAC Scholars, new entrants to our industry, get the chance to hear the latest from the leaders in our field, learn how to place their own experiences in the national context and get practical insights which they can apply in their own workplace.
As a scholar, attending such an event can be a little daunting, so we help ease them in gently by holding a scholars’ only session the day before conference.
This year the session was led by Toni McNamara, LARAC Executive Director, plus an eye-opening presentation from Hannah Graham, of REPIC, the sponsors of the scholarship programme. Cathy Cook, LARAC Chair, Tom McBeth, LARAC Policy Officer and Lucy Bennett, LARAC Business Support Lead, were also introduced to the group plus LARAC Exec members Vicki Burrell, Cindy Gardener and Gareth Rollings gave some very useful insights into ‘Being a Local Authority Waste Officer’.
Following on was a Chair’s drinks just ahead of the Quiz Night/Meet the Exec session with dinner, (with thanks again to our quiz-master James Ward, LARAC Vice Chair), this gives the scholars time to network a bit more in a relaxed environment. This really does help them prepare for two full days of conference, networking and workshops, and the relationships they forge are incredibly valued.
We ask all our scholars to write a brief report on how the three days shaped up for them, their reactions to it, lessons learned, beneficial experiences. The reports speak for themselves, and we can happily say we have achieved our goals for them, and you can read their comments for yourself below. We’d like to thank them all for coming, bringing their enthusiasm and engaging enthusiastically during another successful conference. We also followed up with our 2003 scholars who have written about their experiences in the sector, 'one year on' from their attendance at Conference. Read their One Year On reports here
If you are thinking of applying to our scholarship next year, it’s a really good idea to read on and share the experiences of scholars this year. Read their reports in full here
In their own words….
Scholars session:
"The scholar’s session was a wonderful start to the event which provided the opportunity to meet other scholars, members of the LARAC team and representatives from REPIC. I personally enjoyed hearing about how the LARAC team and Execs got into waste and their progression from the beginning of their careers. The talk from REPIC on WEEE was eye opening and I look forward to attending the tour of their WEEE reprocessing facility especially seeing how vapes are dismantled and then recycled".
Meet the Exec & Quiz:
"The 'Meet the Exec' event in the evening was an equally warm welcome, initially providing a relaxed environment to connect with the other scholars and conference attendees, followed by the quiz which was a good icebreaker to open conversations with everyone at the table. Having Carole and Toni at our table also meant that we were able to meet and chat to them informally".
"A great introduction on arrival, a super enjoyable quiz night (why have I not played “Heads and Tails” like that in a room full of people before, its genuinely great fun), followed by an hour in the bar after exchanging experiences with some fellow scholars".
Awards Night:
"The awards night was such a fantastic evening to attend, I really enjoyed hearing about the projects different local authorities are working on and was able to take away some ideas. The highlight of the night for me had
to be the comedian though, he made the night very entertaining".
Conference:
"Day one of the conference was highly informative. As someone new to the waste industry, the presentations by DEFRA & WRAP were helpful in answering many of my questions about current and upcoming changes".
"The workshops on the final day were massively useful in gaining knowledge before returning to my council role. Discussing and debating key issues in smaller groups has more impact as different viewpoints and solutions become more apparent through valued review".
"Overall, my experience at the LARAC conference was invaluable, leaving me excited about the progress happening in the waste sector. I am extremely grateful to REPIC and LARAC for this opportunity and I am looking forward to the site visit next year!"
"My experience was improved no end by being a Scholar and I would recommend to anyone that is able to apply to do so!"
