Eve Keepax, Eco-Schools Food, Environment Policy Officer Employability skills - student stories

Background

Eve came to the OU from a background in drama and theatre arts, to study for a BSc in Environmental Studies. She had already started using drama in environmental education, but found long-term job security in the environmental field was hindered by her lack of a qualification in that area. Eve now has a job as the Food and Environment Policy Officer with Eco-Schools Scotland.

She has prepared all the written materials for the Food and the Environment section of the Eco-Schools Scotland Guide. It was launched in March 2011 and has been very well received across Scotland.

Key employability skills

Time management

Balancing work and family life with OU study was challenging at times, but Eve found the skills learnt in organising study around other demands on her time a valuable experience.

I have always been an organised person; the learning for me, studying with the OU, was to accept that I only had a limited amount of time and to recognise when to make a decision; to make the points, back them up and get them out there.

Self-confidence

Eve’s success in her study with the OU gave her the confidence to apply for the post with Eco-Schools in 2010

I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do this job without the OU study. I gained confidence from the results I was getting from exams but also from the feedback I was getting in tutorials and online forums.

Subject knowledge

It allowed me to prove to myself that my knowledge of the subject is current and that I could manipulate information, make the links between topics, and express those links coherently.

Five years ago I wrote down where I wanted to be and this job represents a large part of that. I have moved into a post with a highly respected national organisation and developed an environmental topic for national roll-out. The OU has been a key part of helping me achieve this career progression.