On Friday 21 January 2022 the Sixth Form enjoyed another inspiring careers talk from alumna Hannah Williamson. Hannah is a Development Surveyor and Senior Manager for Strategic Projects at Homes England, the government’s housing accelerator aiming to tackle the housing crisis and transform neighbourhoods.  Hannah qualified as a surveyor at Deloitte Real Estate and also worked as a Senior Development Manager at the London Legacy Development Corporation responsible for delivering one of the most important Olympic and Paralympic legacy promises made in the original London 2012 bid. This pledge related to the physical legacy of the Games – the long-term planning, development, management and maintenance of the Park and its impact on the surrounding area after the London 2012 Games.  

Hannah spoke brilliantly about what her day-to-day role includes, working within government, building and designing good quality, meaningful buildings, transforming rundown areas of cities into areas that people want to live in, are accessible and that have long-term value contributing to housing supply and the importance of regulation on the private development sector.

Hannah also spoke about the benefits of taking a gap year including earning money before university, spending time in the adult world and filling it with as much fun as possible! Hannah talked about the pros and cons of further study after university to enter professions such as law, accountancy and surveying and the benefits of applying for a job at a large firm that will pay for the additional studying.

The Sixth Form students asked insightful questions such as how to avoid gentrification and make sure that housing is generally affordable and about the range of different roles in the field of the built environment.

Thank you to Hannah for her time, knowledge and sharing her experiences and top tips.