A national recruitment campaign Make a Difference, Work for Your Local Council’ has been launched, promoting careers in local government and highlighting how rewarding working in the sector can be.
It follows a recent survey by the Local Government Association which found that most councils are experiencing difficulties recruiting and retaining new staff, with 94 per cent of respondents saying they were finding this a challenge.
The campaign, funded by UK Government, will shine a spotlight on the brilliant opportunities to grow your career in local government during January and February 2026.
Working in local government means:
- making a positive impact on real people's lives in your community
- growing your career with training and development opportunities
- having flexible, inclusive working practices
- seeing a huge variety of jobs, with over 800 different jobs in a council.
The ‘Make a Difference, Work for Your Local Council’ campaign delivers the transformative impact of a career in local government – it gives you the power to change your life in a way that can also have an impact on your community.
The campaign was first piloted in the North East of England in 2023-24, before its first national roll-out in 2024-25. It was developed in collaboration with councils, Regional Employer Organisations, and expert creative, media and research partners.
The campaign is award-winning, having received two national awards for ‘Best Innovation in Recruitment’ (LGC Workforce Awards 2024) and ‘Best Partnership / Collaboration’ (PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards 2025).
This year’s campaign will launch on 5 January 2026, and will run for six weeks until 15 February 2026, and will be promoted across multiple media channels.
Councils are being provided with campaign toolkit as part of their recruitment activity, to enhance the national reach of the campaign. This will help to encourage more people to consider working in local government and build positive public perceptions of our sector. The toolkit contains all the campaign materials, which are ready-to-use on your council’s communications channels.
Cllr Jane Scullion, Chair of the LGA’s Improvement Committee, said: “Working in local government is truly a career where you get to make a real difference for your community – there are few other jobs like it.
“We know that many councils are facing retention and recruitment challenges, and we are always looking for ways to make this sector more appealing. We hope that local authorities take up this offer of support.
“Whether you plan to share one of the assets on your social media, display a poster in your local library, or use the campaign logo on your recruitment adverts – your support is really appreciated, and will help to make a difference.”
For more information: National recruitment campaign for local government | Local Government Association
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