Padraig Fitzgerald, Community Investment Manager, SSE
What subjects did you enjoy at school that supported your career path?
History, Business Studies, Maths
Did you study at university or higher education?
Yes
What course did you study?
Bachelor of Arts (History & Politics) and Master of Arts International Relations & Development
What does a typical day or week in your role look like?
My main work focuses on assessing applications to our Community Funds (where we fund local community projects that will help Ireland achieve its climate action targets). I am responsible for ensuring that projects will achieve their impact, have good financial plans to achieve it and also offer advice and support to groups to ensure they hit their targets. Internally, I develop strategies for SSE to ensure that we are as strategic as possible with our funding and reaching as many people as possible in meaningful ways.
What part of your job do you find most interesting or exciting?
Getting to meet the groups that we fund and hearing their stories.
What advice would you give to pupils who are interested in a career in sustainability?
Stay curious and keep learning – there are lots of different types of roles in sustainability and different ways to achieve them. Some roles and businesses might not be what come to mind when you first think of sustainability but can help make a big impact by influencing different pockets of our society.