By Oliver Prato
It has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience to work with a fantastic team who have allowed my creativity to flourish. The Graduate Sustainability Communications & Engagement Officer role has a direct impact on a positive goal – to help The University of Salford become more sustainable.
A photo of me on my first week
The goal of every social media graphic, video, reel or campaign is to influence behaviour. If someone watches a video about the benefits of taking the bus instead of driving, will it change how they travel? That is the challenge of sustainability communications.
I am now starting to build a career around behavioural change and sustainability, and this graduate role has helped me develop that interest and experience significantly.
A photo I took using University of Salford equipment
How did I get here?
I grew up in Devon surrounded by nature. That connection to the natural world plays a big role in caring about sustainability. You see the beauty of the environment and what could be lost if climate change is not addressed. It is not just people who are affected but also the wildlife and ecosystems that share our world.
At nineteen I studied a Politics and Sociology degree at the University of Exeter. There I became fascinated by the question of “why?”. Why do humans behave the way we do? What makes society function?
This curiosity led me to live abroad in both Munich and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta where I worked and studied teaching and marketing. Living overseas allowed me to experience different cultures and environmental approaches. For example, in Spain public cooking oil recycling bins are common.
Later I moved into a waste management role in Devon to help communicate environmental messages to the public. The most enjoyable aspect was creating educational videos. That experience eventually led me to study at the University of Salford.
A photo of me during the Green Careers Mission
Studying at Salford
My master’s degree at Salford was in Creative Video Production and Marketing. During my studies I became involved in several sustainability projects both within and outside of my course.
This included a SHAPE Sustainability Impact Project to help reduce waste within the New Adelphi Building and the Green Careers Mission, a day event to develop solutions that could help Greater Manchester become more sustainable.
These experiences gave me insights into community work around sustainability; community action is powerful and tackling climate change is a collective effort. Through these projects I also got to engage with a community at Salford and gain valuable skills and experience, which helped me gain a role in the Sustainability Team.
A photo of me engaging students during Welcome Week
Graduate Sustainability Communications and Engagement Officer
In the role of Graduate Sustainability Communications and Engagement Officer I have been able to develop my interest in sustainability at a professional level.
The role combines communications, events and project management. My personal mission was to communicate the fantastic sustainability work taking place across the University of Salford and to help encourage participation from students and staff.
The role also formed part of my master’s placement which allowed me to apply what I had learned while making a meaningful contribution to the University, for which I achieved 85%. My placement brief was to enhance sustainability communications through video content and I helped support campaigns such as Let It Grow and Plastic Free July.
I was lucky to use a lot of great equipment during my placement and one of my favourite projects created using this was the Plastic Free July video filmed in the University’s Mega Lab. However, the most successful video was about the Students’ Union Atmosphere pub and what they were doing to reduce plastic.
A great deal goes into creating successful campaigns, including researching effective approaches. One aspect I noticed across social media was the frequent use of highlighted pop-up captions, which I subsequently incorporated into videos on the Sustainability Team’s social media. Analysing the created social media post’s performance was also crucial, identifying what worked well and creating monthly content plans based on results.
A photo of me with colleagues and the SU student officers
Project Management and Collaboration with the Students’ Union
An important aspect of the role involved continuing a project aimed at increasing sustainability engagement among student societies and sports groups. My responsibility was to help launch and establish it. Through this, I significantly developed my project management skills and abilities.
The project I developed introduced a competitive engagement scheme based on the Sustainable Development Goals. It encourages student groups to take action on sustainability such as waste reduction and energy use during events, while also increasing participation in sustainability activities. This includes a Halloween costume swap that I organised, giving students a fun and sustainable alternative to buying new costumes.
An important part of project management is ensuring a project can continue beyond your own involvement. While I helped establish the foundations, the project will continue.
A photo of me on during the River Irwell Soundwalk event
Events
Without a doubt events have been my favourite part of the role.
In-person engagement is incredibly rewarding because every conversation feels like a small step towards a more sustainable future.
Events included community gardening, litter picks, information stalls, Go Green Salford and several events that I developed and delivered. My favourite was the Victorian Herb Talk, which showcased The University of Salford’s herb garden while exploring the Victorian language of flowers and herbs. Participants enjoyed guessing the hidden meanings behind different plants.
A photo of me on a stall
Lessons I Will Take Forward
There are many skills I developed through this role including data analysis, communication, project management, organisation and time management. However, there are two key lessons that I will carry forward:
- How to engage people in sustainability: One thing I have learned is that interactive and competitive activities are often the most effective way to engage people. Games and challenges attract people to stalls and encourage conversations about sustainability. On social media I found that informative slide content and videos that ask questions often performed particularly well because they encouraged audience participation.
- The effort that goes into making a university sustainable: From monitoring energy use across campus buildings to running engagement campaigns that encourage behaviour change, sustainability requires effort from many different people. It is a creative field that combines strategy, communication, technical knowledge and community engagement.
A photo of me running the How Bad are Bananas game
You do not necessarily need to study a sustainability related subject to work within the sector. However, I believe an interest in how the world works is essential. Whether it is understanding people, communities, businesses or environmental systems. Curiosity provides a strong foundation. The economy, our communities and our everyday lives are built upon environmental resources. Sustainability is about ensuring future generations can enjoy a prosperous future too.
On a practical level, get involved in your local community where you live or study. Whether it is a repair café, community fridge, litter picking group or environmental charity, these experiences are invaluable.
Sustainability is not just about science. It is about people and community. Taking action alongside others makes your contribution feel more meaningful and provides excellent evidence of your commitment to sustainability.