Work experience at the Council | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

We offer a diverse range of work experience opportunities tailored to a variety of interests and career aspirations. Whether you’re seeking practical, hands-on experience or investigative roles; creative and artistic pursuits or roles that involve working with people; or positions that require strategic decision-making or meticulous attention to detail – we have something for everyone.

Our work experience opportunities are open to individuals who meet any of the following criteria:

Reside within our borough, and/or
attend an educational establishment (school or college) located within our borough and have a requirement to complete work experience, or
attend university and have a requirement to complete work experience, or
are affiliated with an employability support organisation and have a requirement to complete work experience.

Priority will be given to applicants who live, study, or are supported within our borough.

We will facilitate one approved work experience placement per individual within a 12-month period, with placement durations ranging from up to one week, three to six months, or up to 12 months for higher education students completing a formal placement year as part of their course.

While our work experience opportunities are generally unpaid, some university placement students may be paid. When available, these placement opportunities will be formally advertised by us and subject to a formal recruitment process.

Please note it will not always be possible to find a work experience placement for everyone due to a high demand of requests, or it may not always be operationally possible.

Explore the range of work experience opportunities below to discover where your future career might take you, find out how to apply, and visit our FAQ section for everything you need to know.

Work experience opportunities on offer

Tourism, arts and culture

Opportunity

Living History Interpreter

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe adult guided tours, shop operations and catering procedures, where appropriate
assist with the setting up and dismantling of sets
assist with the setting up of education programmes at two venues
prepare crafts and materials
support administrative tasks
learn about booking processes

Location

Navan Centre and Fort and the Palace Stables (Armagh area)

Duration

Up to five days
(October-June)
9.30am-1.30pm

Apply Now

Opportunity

Stage Technician

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Learn about setting up a microphone and applying equalisation
understand the process of setting up monitors and programming a sound desk, which includes effects and reverb
gain insights into addressing stage lights, including the concept of universes and the programming of lighting scenes
observe a fly tower demonstration, learning how curtains and scenery are flown and weighted along with essential health and safety measures for tower operation
receive an overview of how the stage works while in a performance setting.

Location

Portadown Town Hall (Craigavon area)

Duration

Up to five days including evenings
(April-September)
Times may vary

Apply Now

Opportunity

Stage Technician

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Learn about setting up a microphone and applying equalisation
understand the process of setting up monitors and programming a sound desk, which includes effects and reverb
gain insights into addressing stage lights, including the concept of universes and the programming of lighting scenes
observe a fly tower demonstration, learning how curtains and scenery are flown and weighted along with essential health and safety measures for tower operation
receive an overview of how the stage works while in a performance setting.

Location

Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, Armagh

Duration

Up to five days including evenings and weekends.
(March-June or September-October)
Times may vary

Apply Now

Building and infrastructure

Opportunity

Administration (Estates and Asset Management)

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Manage and organise diaries and schedules
handle incoming phone calls
check, prioritise and respond to emails
perform general typing and document preparation tasks
assist with filing and administrative record-keeping.

Location

Craigavon Civic Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

Up to three days
(Tuesday to Thursday)
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Building Control Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Gain an appreciation of the Northern Ireland Building Regulations and learn how they are enforced
observe how technical queries are addressed and resolved
gain insights into doing a plan assessment including review of drawings, energy calculations and so on
learn about postal numbering procedures
experience property certificates being answered.

Location

Abbey Street (Armagh area) Banbridge Civic Building (Banbridge area) or Craigavon Civic Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

Up to five days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Capital Project Officer

Description

For individuals under 18, during your shadowing experience you will have the opportunity to:

Observe site surveying and measuring
participate in site and facility visits
review drawings and architectural plans
join design team discussions and meetings.

For individuals over 18, during your shadowing experience you will have the opportunity to:

Assist with site surveying and measuring
participate in site and facility visits
review drawings and architectural plans
support the preparation of drawings and tender documents
draft drawings and CAD (computer-aided design) illustrations
shadow site visits, design team, and facility meetings.
take meeting minutes and notes.

Location

One day in Banbridge as Capital Project Officer

Duration

Up to five days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Planning Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to explore the three Planning specialisms across the following key areas:

Development Management: processing planning applications
Planning Enforcement: dealing with complaints about unauthorised developments
Local Development Plan: preparing the Plan for the local area

Attend the council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Committee in Craigavon, gaining insights into the interaction with councillors.

Please note, applicants must be pursuing studies in Planning or a closely related field.

Location

Banbridge Civic Building, (Banbridge area)

Duration

Up to five days
(Second week of the month)
9am-5pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Environmental and ecological

Opportunity

Administration (Environmental Services)

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Support the team by handling telephone enquiries from the public regarding issues such as missed bins and street cleansing
process payments both over the phone and in-person for bin sales and bulky item collections
assist with the processing of purchase orders and invoices
contribute to data entry tasks using spreadsheets and our in-house systems (full training will be given)
provide administrative support to senior managers within the department.

Location

Carn Depot (Craigavon area)

Duration

One day per week for a period of time or five days per week for several weeks
9am-5pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Animal Husbandry

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe the handling and care of a diverse range of wild and rare breed animals
contribute to the cleaning and maintenance of cages and enclosures
assist in preparing and providing appropriate food.

Location

Tannaghmore Rare Breeds Animal Farm (Craigavon area)

Duration

Ranging from a few hours per day over several weeks to several hours over an extended period of time

Apply Now

Opportunity

Bushcraft Instructor

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe instructors delivering activities with groups or individuals
learn about equipment and site maintenance
gain insights into daily bushcraft operations
assist in preparing the site for upcoming projects.

Location

Kinnego Bushcraft Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

Up to five days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Ecological and Environmental Research

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to carry out research-based projects that support related studies in the following fields:

Species surveys for moths and butterflies and other insects
habitat surveys (National Vegetation Classification or ERICA)
habitat rapid condition assessments (peatlands)
mapping of habitats and species such as invasive species
river surveys including chemical and biological assessments as well as analysis of collected samples.

Please note, applicants must have an interest in ecological and environmental research.

Location

Lough Neagh Discovery Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

(May to July – subject to project or course needs, can be flexible)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Forest Park Attendant

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Assist the ranger with trail and park inspections
contribute to site maintenance and cleaning
participate in litter picking
help with setting up and organising park events.

Location

Gosford Forest Park (Armagh area)

Duration

Up to five days or one day a week for several weeks
9.30am-3.30pm
(approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Grounds Person

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe and assist with a variety of tasks including planting, weeding, pitch maintenance and litter collection.

Location

Tannaghmore Gardens (Craigavon area)

Duration

One day a week for six weeks
11am-1pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Park Keeper

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe and assist with a variety of tasks including planting, weeding, pitch maintenance and litter collection.

Location

Portadown People’s Park (Craigavon area)

Duration

One day a week for six weeks
11am-1pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Biodiversity Management

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Assist the head ranger with managing the nature reserve and other sites
participate in surveys
undertake practical maintenance
work with our grazing animals

Location

Lough Neagh Discovery Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

(May to July – subject to project or course needs, can be flexible)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Customer Advisor

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Gain insights into the day‑to‑day operation
assist front‑of‑house staff with customer enquiries in person, by telephone, and online
observe how bookings are taken and managed for activities such as golf, skiing, and lessons
support the team with administration tasks, including record‑keeping and use of booking systems
learn how payments are processed and how customer queries or issues are handled professionally
gain an understanding of health and safety procedures within a multi‑activity leisure environment
observe teamworking across departments, including facilities, outdoor staff, and management.

Location

Craigavon Golf & Ski Centre

Duration

Flexible, depending on availability

Typically, one day per week for a period of time or five days per week for several weeks.

Apply Now

Health, safety and wellbeing

Opportunity

Corporate Health and Safety Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe first-hand how safety inspections are conducted
gain insights into accidents investigation processes
explore the wide range of safety rules designed to protect employees and the public
understand the vital role this function plays in maintaining a safe environment.

Location

Armagh, Banbridge or Craigavon areas

Duration

Up to two days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Health and Inequalities Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe the delivery of community-based programmes dedicated to reducing health inequalities and promoting health improvement, with a focus on targeted groups
develop an understanding of effective collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders within the community
support and contribute to important campaigns such as Loneliness Week, Volunteers Week, and Men’s Health initiatives.

Location

Based at the Palace Stables, Armagh however could work across Armagh, Banbridge or Craigavon areas

Duration

Five days (June)
9.30am-3.30pm
(approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Environmental Health Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Explore the diverse scope of environmental health by observing professionals in action across the following key areas
food safety –learn how Environmental Health Officers inspect food premises, assess hygiene standards, and ensure compliance with food regulations
health and safety – gain insight into workplace safety assessments and how risks are managed in various environments
public health – understand how Environmental Health Officers contribute to disease prevention, respond to health complaints, and promote community wellbeing
environmental protection – discover how Environmental Health Officers monitor pollution, investigate nuisances, and enforce environmental legislation.

Please note, applicants must be pursuing studies in environmental health or a closely related field.

Location

Armagh, Banbridge or Craigavon areas

Duration

Up to two days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Indoor Leisure Attendant

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

assist with setting up rooms and equipment
perform cleaning tasks
contribute to planning activities and events
Support poolside duties where applicable
develop your interpersonal skills by interacting with members of the public, working as part of a team and learning how to address and resolve any issues that arise

Location

One of our nine leisure facilities across Armagh, Banbridge or Craigavon areas

Duration

Five days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Resilience Officer or Manager

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Develop an understanding of emergency planning and its essential components
visit an emergency support centre and consider how it is activated and managed
liaise with key partner organisations to understand how different sectors work together to prepare, respond to and recover from emergency incidents.

Location

Craigavon Civic Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

One day
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Opportunity

Sports Development

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Observe and help deliver on an activity
assist with setting up rooms and equipment
contribute to planning activities and events
develop your interpersonal skills by interacting with members of the public and working as part of a team.

Location

Dependant on activity – Armagh, Banbridge or Craigavon areas

Duration

A few hours per day for several weeks shadowing a specific programme or up to three days, times may vary.

Apply Now

Legal

Opportunity

Solicitor

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Accompany a solicitor to court in Craigavon and/or Newry to observe council prosecutions first-hand
attend the council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Committee in Craigavon, gaining insights into legal and procedural advice provided to councillors.

Location

The Palace Building (Armagh area)

Duration

Up to five days
(First week of the month)
9am-4pm (approximately)
Access to a car is required

Apply Now

Managerial and research

Opportunity

Community Planning, Policy and Research Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Conduct research on projects that support community and place planning within our borough
explore research initiatives related to actions outlined in our borough’s place plans.

Location

Banbridge Civic Building, (Banbridge area)

Duration

Subject to project and course needs

Apply Now

Opportunity

Corporate Programme Management Officer

Description

During your shadowing experience, you will have the opportunity to:

Gain insights into the management and administration of a wide variety of capital and revenue projects across various stages, including feasibility analysis, business case development and construction
get first-hand experience of ongoing large-scale capital construction initiatives as well as strategic growth and service transformation projects.

Location

Craigavon Civic Centre (Craigavon area)

Duration

Up to five days
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Technology and data management

Opportunity

Geographic Information System (GIS) Officer

Description

For individuals under 18, during your shadowing experience you will have the opportunity to:

help with simple mapping tasks like reading maps, collecting basic location data, organising information, and creating easy maps using beginner tools
learn how maps are used in the real world and support the team with small office or field tasks observe the demonstration of practical applications of GIS in everyday situations within the public sector.
Most relevant to individuals studying Geography.

For individuals over 18, your shadowing experience will also support related studies in the following fields:

Theory and practice of GIS (using ESRI ArcGIS packages)
GIS databases
mobile applications
analysis & Presentation of data via maps & ESRI apps

Location

Banbridge Civic Building, (Banbridge area)

Duration

2-3 days (school or college) or up to 12 days (university)
9.30am-3.30pm (approximately)

Apply Now

Faqs

Application process

How do I apply?

View all opportunities and packages on offer and then proceed to complete the Work Experience Form. We aim to provide a response within 10 working days.

How far in advance should I submit my work experience request?

Work experience requests should normally be submitted at least four weeks before the proposed start date. Requests received with shorter notice may still be considered subject to availability.

Can I submit more than one work experience request?

Yes. You can submit more than one work experience request to express an interest in different opportunities across the council.

What happens if more than one of my requests is approved?

In some cases, more than one work experience placement request may be confirmed. If this happens, we will contact you using the contact details provided in your application (usually by email) to inform you and ask you to choose one placement to proceed with.

Why do I need to choose only one placement?

To ensure fair access to work experience opportunities and effective use of council resources, we facilitate only one placement per individual at a time. This allows opportunities to be shared across a wider range of applicants.

What happens if I do not respond to the council’s request to choose?

If we do not receive a response by the stated deadline, we may proceed to withdraw your application so the opportunity can be offered to another applicant.

What happens if information is unclear in the application form?

If we receive an application with unclear or incomplete information, we will contact you to request clarification. Applicants are encouraged to respond as promptly as possible to avoid delays in processing the application.

Can I decline all confirmed placements?

Yes. If your circumstances change and you are no longer able to undertake a work experience placement, please let us know as soon as possible.

Will declining a placement affect future applications?

No. Declining a placement will not disadvantage you in future work experience applications, provided you tell us your decision promptly.

Safety information

What is a Risk Assessment and why is it required?

A Risk Assessment outlines potential risks related to the work experience opportunity and it is important that this is reviewed and signed. This typically happens on day one of your work experience.

What is the Risk Assessment process for individuals under 18?

We share a completed Risk Assessment form ahead of an individual starting work experience. We ask that you review it, have it signed by your parent or guardian, and return it by email ahead of starting. You will be taken through this on day one.

Consent forms

Why is consent required to progress with work experience?

Consent is required to ensure that all parties are aware of and agree to the work experience placement, and to meet safeguarding and organisational requirements.

What consents are required?

For individuals under the age of 18, consent must be received from:

The individual
A parent or guardian
The school, college, or referring organisation

For individuals aged 18 and over, consent must be received from:

The individual
The school, college, or referring organisation

What happens if consent is not provided?

If all required consents are not completed and received, this may result in a delay to the application process or, in some cases, withdrawal of the work experience application.

Applicants are encouraged to ensure all consent forms are completed as promptly as possible to avoid delays.

When do I provide emergency contact details?

If under 18, you will be required to provide emergency contact details in your parent/guardian consent form. If over 18 you will be required to provide this information in your individual consent form. Please ensure you ask permission and advise the emergency contact that we will contact them in the event of an emergency.

Placement information

What is the dress code?

The dress code will depend on the placement and the type of work you will be doing. Details will be provided before your placement begins. In general, office-based roles are usually smart casual. For outdoor roles, you may be asked to wear comfortable clothing, including full-length trousers and closed-toe footwear. Any required personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided.

What if I’m unsure what to wear?

Contact your Work Experience Coordinator or placement supervisor before your start date for guidance.

Do I need to bring a packed lunch?

Yes, bring your own packed lunch, snacks and drinks each day during your work experience placement.

What should I do if I can’t attend work experience/placement?

You must let your work experience supervisor know before your agreed start time.

What happens if I don’t arrive and haven’t contacted anyone?

Your placement supervisor will try to contact you. Depending on your age, they may also contact your parent/guardian and your school, college, or organisation.

What should I do if I need to leave during the day?

You must tell your work experience supervisor before leaving.

Can my work experience placement be ended early?

Yes. A placement may be ended if there are concerns about behaviour, attendance, or failure to follow workplace instructions or health and safety requirements. In some circumstances, a placement may also end early if operational circumstances change and the team is no longer able to support the opportunity.

Who should I speak to if I am having difficulties during my work experience/placement?

You should speak to your placement supervisor or line manager as soon as possible so any issues can be discussed and support provided where appropriate.

Will my school, college, or organisation be informed if my placement ends early?

Yes. If a placement is ended, the relevant school, college, or organisation will be notified.