Supporting your career

Collegiate support

We are committed to providing a supportive environment that enables individuals to develop and fulfil their potential.  Our mentor and buddy programmes help deliver this commitment, and all our people are assisted to get a mentor when they join PA.

Our mentors build strong relationships with their mentees and are focused on guiding and advising them about their career and development. Our more senior consultants, and particularly the senior management group, take a deep interest in the ongoing professional and personal development of those who work with them.

A buddy is also allocated to new joiners for their first three months with PA.  A buddy, as the name implies, establishes an informal relationship with the individual and is ideally someone of the same grade as the new joiner who works alongside the individual.  The role of buddying is:

• to act as an informal point of contact for the new joiner, ensuring an immediate and warm welcome

• to assist new joiners in understanding the organisation of their practice or department

• to help new joiners understand the culture and values of PA and, where necessary, consultancy

 Social committees

A number of PA’s practices have social committees that organise regular events to support work and leisure time and networking. These are particularly important to those working away from home for long periods in new and different towns and cities.   

For example, events organised by the Government Services Group in the UK have included a trip to the theatre to see Julius Caesar at London's Barbican, a day at the races at Epsom, a visit to Gateshead's International Jazz Festival, and an outing to the Turner, Whistler and Monet exhibitions at Tate Britain.

The PA sailing regatta is a PA-wide six monthly event, held in the spring and autumn. The regatta is open to all PA people, their families and friends, and around 150 descend on the Solent, Southampton, for a weekend of socialising and sailing. The event attracts a contingent of German, Dutch and Norwegian colleagues.