Tiyanna is unstoppable! Read her full story…
“I have a sense of pride knowing I helped a local business to be able to grow.”
Tiyanna initially joined Buckinghamshire Council through the Kickstart scheme, securing a 6-month placement that marked the beginning of her journey. Over the course of 2 years, she embarked on a transformative progression through diverse roles and placements within the council. Her journey began in the ICT Schools team, after which she seamlessly transitioned to the Commissioning team, then the Service Improvement team, and ultimately the Strategy and Growth team. This extraordinary trajectory has provided Tiyanna with a wealth of experiences. Now holding the role of Grants Officer, she stands prepared to tackle any challenge that comes her way.
We spoke to Tiyanna, asking her to share some insight into her thriving career at Buckinghamshire Council…
Tell us about your role, what have you been up to?
In my role as a Grants Officer, I’ve been involved in launching two big projects: the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the Bucks Rural Business Grant (BRBG). I have supported the creation and development of processes need to launch the 2 programmes. As the projects have recently launched, I am now supporting the delivery of the programmes and will be working alongside external partners to help go through the review and appraisal process of all grant applications that come in. I am a Buckinghamshire resident, so knowing that I have a positive impact on local businesses is really rewarding.
What’s the best thing about your team?
My team is very supportive. If there is something I am unsure of or somebody who has a better-equipped skillset, I can have a quick chat with them or arrange some training. This has given me confidence that I am both personally and professionally progressing and constantly learning.
That’s wonderful. And on a wider scale, how about the council in general?
I have recently been appointed as a co-chair of The Early Careers Network. This network is something I am passionate about as it supported me in my early career journey and helped me get to where I am now. The Early Careers Network offers a safe space to network with people who are in a similar situation to them just starting off their journey within the council. I am also part of the Equality and Diversity Network, which has allowed me to get in contact with other like-minded members of the council whom I may not have met before joining.
I was previously nominated for the ‘Proud of You’ awards in the ‘Bright Futures’ category. It was nice to be recognised for my work despite only being in the council for a short period of time I hope my story can help inspire people new into their careers that recognition has no time limits or restrictions. I am someone that really loves to see and be involved in growth. My work within my daily role and Early Careers Network allows me to be part of an environment that thrives off personal development, whether that’s a business or an individual.
The Council aims to encourage its employees to ‘be the best you’. Do you feel that it succeeds?
From my previous role in Service Improvement, I was paired with a mentor. We originally did some goal setting together to find out what I wanted to achieve, we then put together some steps on how I was going to achieve them. That relationship really helped increase my confidence and I was able to learn a new set of skills to help me progress onto my next role. My journey within the council has made me realise what I enjoy — I really like working on projects and was interested in obtaining a project management qualification. With the support of my manager, I have now been enrolled onto a course. I am currently studying towards obtaining my APM fundamentals qualification.
What would you say to someone considering a career at Buckinghamshire Council?
The Council provides many opportunities to learn and grow through networks, workshops, webinars. New opportunities are always arising, and the council is always open to suggestions on how something can be improved which means that anyone can be involved in helping to create new opportunities as well.
