We have provided a brief overview of the service areas you may be interested in completing a work experience placement with at Wigan Council.
Currently, only the service areas included on the web form are accepting ad hoc requests for placements, although we expect this to increase over time.
Not all service areas have an overview below, but the majority of them do:
We are responsible for the development plan (or local plan) which sets out planning policies and designates land for development and conservation (this includes transport policies and schemes).
This is supported by planning guidance (including on transport matters), an infrastructure delivery plan and monitoring.
We are also responsible for the borough’s transport strategy and delivery plan, and for representing the borough’s interests at Greater Manchester level and wider in developing transport strategy and policy, as well on public transport matters more generally, working and advocating with TfGM who are the transport authority in Greater Manchester, and for developing or supporting the development of schemes to address issues on the transport network, or to support regeneration activities.
All of our own projects include consultation with stakeholders and people generally in working up our proposals.
On both planning policy and transport planning we also provide specialist support to the development management team in determining planning applications.
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The Major Projects Service plays a pivotal role in the delivery of major transport infrastructure schemes.
The team are responsible for developing and delivering a programme of multi-modal transport and regeneration infrastructure schemes to improve the Borough’s connectivity through supporting the place shaping, decarbonisation and the health and wellbeing of the Borough’s growth in line with the inclusive principles agreed in Deal 2030.
Projects include cycling and walking infrastructure, town centre transformations, public realm and transport connectivity.
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The Regeneration Service focusses upon two key strands: town centres and enabling housing delivery. Our town centres work programme seeks to secure investment, diversify uses, increase footfall and engage with communities in order to ensure that town centres evolve to meet the changing demands of our communities.
We manage the delivery of major funding programmes including Future High Street Fund, Heritage Action Zone and Levelling Up Fund. Current projects include the creation of a new multi-purpose space in Ashton town centre, the refurbishment of Leigh Market and the transformation of the Station Gateway area in Wigan.
Our housing enabling work supports the delivery of new homes across the borough – ensuring that new homes meet the needs of the borough in terms of type, tenure and location. We work in partnership with Registered Providers and house builders of all sizes to facilitate development on both small sites and major strategic sites.
Our team works closely with other Council services (notably those with responsibility for property, planning, culture and transport), stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sector and our communities to ensure that regeneration activity is coordinated and that synergies are realised to ensure good place-making across the borough.
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Culture Team: Customer Services Assistant - Join the culture team to find out more about arts and heritage within the Wigan Borough. We have split-placements available for a customer services assistant working across our three venues:
- The Museum of Wigan Life (Library Street, Wigan)
- Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Leigh Town Hall)
- The Turnpike Gallery (Turnpike Centre, Leigh).
Please note this placement will likely be two days at the museum and archives, and one day at The Turnpike though this is subject to change based on the needs of the service.
General tasks and duties will include:
- Helping with customer enquiries
- General admin duties
- Assisting staff with projects and events.
Archives: Wigan and Leigh is home to 800 years’ worth of the Wigan Borough’s recorded history. This includes church records, diaries, letters, maps and photographs.
The Museum of Wigan Life cares for many historic objects relating to life in Wigan over the centuries, as well as a valuable collection of Ancient Egyptian antiquities.
The upper floor of the building is Wigan Local Studies which hold many historical books and genealogical sources.
The Turnpike Gallery is an arts venue and culture hub in Leigh town centre, offering exhibitions, workshops and events.
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Parks and Streetscene is a large frontline service within Wigan Council which is responsible for keeping the Borough looking clean, green, safe and welcoming for the residents and visitors to the borough.
Our service provides the following operations:
- Grounds Maintenance of parks (some award-winning green flag parks), estates, highway’s, sports pitches and golf courses.
- Street cleaning and litter bin emptying
- Play Area inspections and maintenance of play equipment.
- Public right of way maintenance
- Treatment of invasive weeds and weeds on the highways
- Tree management and maintenance.
Also ensuring that all this happens and runs smoothly is our business support team who provide admin support and deliver the planning of work ensuring that all the work carried out by Parks and Streetscene is completed to a high standard and in the most efficient way, enabling us to react to emergencies when required.
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Wigan Council’s Public Relations Team draws together professional communicators to support the work of more than 700 council services.
We have expertise in all communications disciplines, and we design, plan and deliver world-class press and media work, public-facing campaigns and stakeholder communications of all kinds.
The team is split into three core functions, marketing, design and media.
The marketing function develops and delivers campaigns aligned to the organisation’s strategic objectives, working collaboratively with our in-house design team.
The media team manage the press office, responding to media enquiries, telling the story of the organisation and creating content for our multiple social media channels, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X and Next Door.
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Be Well leisure centres offer an array of exciting and varied opportunities for those participating in work experience. Working within our leisure centres will give an insight into the many different roles undertaken within the leisure centre of which a hands-on approach will be required when working with us.
All of our centres are inclusive and provide a warm friendly atmosphere to work in. You will be part of a large diverse workforce providing an excellent front-line service to our local residents. Working within our centres you will experience the role of lifeguarding, fitness instructing, sports coaching, reception, climbing wall instruction, swim teaching, health & Safety, finance, and pool water maintenance.
The experience gives a solid foundation for what a future career in leisure may look like for you and give a greater understanding of the many career pathways available.
Over the past few years, the leisure centres have welcomed lots of our local schools pupils each year. The experience has been really successful with many going on to achieve the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification and gain future employment within the Leisure Centres.
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Tenancy Management support people to not only find accommodation but to also manage their council tenancies.
We also manage and maintain our estates ensuring they are clean and free from rubbish.
We support our tenants to live long and happy lives, whilst ensuring their voices are at the heart of everything we do.
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Allocation and Accommodation team
We work with customers who want to apply to join the council’s housing register to find accommodation.
We process and assess housing applications and provide advice to customers on their housing options.
Our team also support those who are struggling in their current home such as when they have health needs and their home is no longer suitable.
The Allocations team are responsible for allocating empty council properties, completing several checks to make sure we get the right person for the right property.
Our team also manage temporary accommodation, furnished tenancies and assist tenants that need to move due to disrepair issues.
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Homes and Communities Team
We are responsible for keeping our estates clean and tidy and for managing council tenancies.
They investigate tenancy breaches, such as untidy gardens and work residents to ensure they maintain their council tenancy.
Our Tenancy Support Officers work with tenants who are struggling to manage their tenancy, providing practical support, such as budgeting, applying for benefits, accessing a GP or dentist.
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Tenant Voice and Engagement Team
We work with tenants, residents, and community volunteers to ensure that our tenants and residents views and voices are heard and are at the heart of everything we do.
The team, work with tenants to help us to shape services, listen to tenant feedback and support with community groups and events.
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Sheltered Accommodation Team
We provide self-contained accommodation to tenants aged 55 and over. We have 40 sheltered accommodation and 3 extra care schemes across the borough.
Our tenants live independently in their own homes with assistance and support from staff when required. We encourage residents to be involved in a wide range of activities which are available on site or through connections within their local communities.
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The Regulatory Services Team is part of the Environment Directorate. Regulatory Services teams deliver a wide range of functions relating to Environmental Health, Licensing, Trading Standards and Environmental Protection. This is just some of the work we do:
- Food inspections
- Monitor air quality
- Investigate underage sales
- Inspect premises for illicit tobacco and illegal vapes.
- Animal license inspections.
Under the Strategic & Private Sector Housing service, there are three main service areas.
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Housing Strategy and Affordable Housing
This area oversees the housing strategy for Wigan which maps out housing needs, aspirations and plans for the borough. Linked to this, this team also develops policies to ensure that the Council is meeting its duties in relation to housing.
The same team supports the delivery of affordable housing schemes through the administration of loans and / or discounted home schemes by setting the eligibility criteria and application process allowing applications to be fairly assessed.
A placement in this area would provide an opportunity to learn more about the housing market, policy and strategy development, administrative skills and engagement with residents and organisations.
On placement you might be asked to answer the telephone and take messages, attend meetings and take notes, carry out research, help put together information briefings and provide support to members of the team
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Private Rented Sector Housing Advice and Support
This is a busy area that provides advice and support to both tenants and landlords of privately rented housing.
This can mean helping tenants to access privately rented provision by applying for financial assistance with deposits and negotiation with letting agents, support to tenants who have been issued an eviction notice to leave their property as well as advice to landlords to help them understand their responsibilities.
In addition, this team manages a number of properties on behalf of private landlords which requires property inspections, signing of contractual documents, matching tenants to available properties and collecting rents etc.
This team also arranges for formal engagement sessions with private landlords and produces regular newsletters.
A placement in this area would offer a chance to understand more about private sector housing, the rental process, problem solving and engagement skills as well administrative and communication skills.
On placement you might be asked to answer the telephone and take messages, attend meetings and take notes, help put together newsletters, help make arrangements for networking events, update records on spreadsheets and help provide support to members of the team.
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Housing Standards
This team looks after the quality of privately rented housing – making sure that homes are safe and secure for people to live in.
The team supports private tenants that may be having difficulty with their landlord getting repairs completed.
They spend a lot of time visiting properties to carry out inspections and resolving disagreements between landlords and tenants.
Through this work they also help make homes in Wigan greener and more energy efficient to help meet climate changes targets.
There are some really interesting aspects of this area and a placement in this team would offer the chance to get a better understanding of housing quality standards, situations that lead to a deterioration of housing quality, climate change plans and the role energy efficient housing has in becoming a greener society.
On placement you might be asked to answer the telephone and take messages, attend meetings and take notes, put together information packs, accompany staff on visits as well as providing support to members of the team.
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Aspiring Futures is the employment and skills service for young people aged 15-19 (and up to 25 for those with learning difficulties and disabilities) in the Wigan borough. We offer support to those who are not in employment, education, or training, helping them make a decision on what they want to do and find opportunities.
Our team of Careers and Progression Advisers provide independent and impartial advice and support to young people including Careers advice and guidance; support with job searching; applications to college, study programmes, apprenticeships and employment; job applications; CVs and interview preparation and help with referrals to specialist services, agencies and training as appropriate.
Experience within the service could include general administration support, visits to training providers and colleges, web support and dealing with email correspondence and follow up work with young people.
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Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council Adult Learning and Skills service aims to provide learning that changes lives across the borough.
We believe in taking learning to learners across the borough and offer first steps into skills and vocational qualifications that provide a route to better work and income, as well as supporting life chances.
Alongside English, Maths and Digital, we offer vocational courses that lead to careers in demand areas, traditional community learning that supports well being and health, family learning, digital inclusion and introductory courses to enable residents to access Adult Learning for the first time.
We also work in partnership with other Wigan based providers to ensure that residents have access to a wide range of courses that support progression to further learning and employment.
Learners are at the heart of what we offer, and we adapt due to changing needs, demand and skills shortages. We aim to ensure all our learners feel valued and in control of their own learning journey.
Placement roles within this team could include- working with data, supporting general admin roles, supporting marketing ideas, supporting learners in class, supporting recruitment activities, supporting exam activities but this could be different at different times of the year.
Due to the nature of work, all placements need to be 18+. Any placements working with learners, need to have English and Maths at level 2/GCSE grade C/4 or higher. We are not able to offer any placements teaching/supporting teaching as we already accept PGCE placement tutors.
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You will be first point of contact for customers visiting the libraries, actively engaging with them, promoting the benefits of our on-line services as the primary customer access channel in order provide a more cost-effective service and to enable the self-reliance of residents of the borough.
You’ll work holistically with customers, within libraries, to help them gain access to appropriate services which will enable them to make positive life changes, gain employment and work towards building self-reliance, improving their health and well-being and independence.
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The Economic Development team looks to encourage and boost economic growth across the Wigan borough. The team do this by supporting local businesses, encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting Wigan as a place for new businesses to set up or growing businesses to invest.
There are 3 strands to the team:
- Invest in Wigan – business growth and investment supporting all our business community
- Employment and Skills Pathways – supporting businesses with apprenticeships, recruitment and workforce development and working with our priority groups and young people seeking employment
- Markets – managing the operational side of our markets, working with traders and encouraging start-up and new businesses to our market halls.
Under the Crisis Intervention and Prevention Service, there are two main service areas.
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Homelessness Solutions Team (18+ only)
The Homelessness Solutions Team is responsible for ensuring that the Council meets its legal duties in relation to homelessness.
The team undertake homeless assessments and completion and delivery of Personal Housing Plans with individuals.
The work includes attempting to prevent homelessness through use of early intervention measures, and where homelessness has occurred, to alleviate this through the provision of temporary accommodation and move on to sustainable accommodation arrangements in the community.
On placement you might be asked to answer the telephone and take messages, attend meetings and take notes, help put together information briefings and provide support to members of the team.
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Targeted Commissioning and Resilience Team (18+ only)
The Targeted Commissioning and Resilience Team is responsible for developing new support and accommodation options for individuals in the community, often where there is more specialist or targeted needs.
The team commission and contract manage services with a range of providers in the delivery of emergency accommodation, specialist and supported accommodation, and provision of bespoke floating support services.
On placement you might be asked to answer the telephone and take messages, attend meetings and take notes, carry out research, help put together information briefings and provide support to members of the team.
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Exposure to trades: Plumbing / joinery / plastering.
We operate in the wigan borough completing maintenance and repairs to our housing stock of around 23,000 properties.
We can provide exposure and experience of:
- Completing site visits and support tradespeople
- Maintenance of tools and storing of materials
- In house induction and relevant training as required
- Learn about how to order and store materials ready for use
- Learn how to estimate works and complete kitchen plans and site measurements
- Communication skills.
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HR and OD provides people management support across the organisation, to ensure the best possible employee experience for all of our staff.
Our functions include resourcing, staff wellbeing, health and safety, internal communications, learning and development, HR systems and processes (such as payroll and pensions) and policy development & implementation.
We offer year 10 work experience as part of our Team Wigan work experience weeks and can support a small number of placements each year for local students with a specific interest in a people management career.
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We have lots of opportunities in the adult social care and health service area, both directly with Wigan Council’s provision as well as with our partners, who have been commissioned to deliver care services on our behalf.
To find out more details, visit the Care To Join Us page on our website.
Please note that work experience requests for this service area should still be completed via the work experience webpage.
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