Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme – council experiences

The programme is a great way of developing the future leaders in local government particularly as so many graduates end up getting roles at the Council once they have finished their placements. We are proud to have supported the programme for over 10 years and are committed as a council to equipping our future leaders with the skills and experience necessary to excel in their future careers. 

The Council currently has over 10 previous NGDP graduates employed across the Council in areas as diverse as education, commissioning, digital and social care. 

The sign-up process is simple and straightforward and we receive ongoing support from the LGA throughout the programme. The regular updates and newsletters keep us well informed about the scheme.

The high calibre of candidates continues to impress us each year. What has really come across is their commitment and passion to making a difference in local communities. 

The graduates work across all directorates, taking part in a wide and diverse range of projects. The projects they have worked on have provided an invaluable contribution to meeting our strategic objectives for our Ambitious for Sutton corporate plan. Many of our graduates have taken part in our extensive staff networks and have recently been part of developing a new work experience programme for local students.

Recruitment and retention is a clear challenge for the sector and this programme allows us to attract new talent to the Council. Each graduate will gain management experience and exposure in the context of local government, so they can feel confident applying to permanent roles afterwards.

We are extremely proud to be part of the programme and the programme has allowed us to have so many fantastic graduates working across many departments of the Council. We would highly recommend taking part in the programme. 

As an organisation, we are absolutely committed to supporting new entrants into the local government sector. We already offer several graduate positions in service areas such as legal and highways, so adding to that offer, with a more generic graduate role linked to the NGDP, enables us to attract even more high-calibre graduates to our workforce.  

The NGDP scheme was a perfect fit for us as we benefit from the kudos of being part of the national scheme but have flexibility to run the scheme locally to meet the business needs of our own organisation. It is the perfect solution. Practically, the way the scheme is run also helps us benefit from the national recruitment drive which attracts thousands of graduates each year – far more than we would see from a locally run campaign.  

The process to sign-up could not be simpler – once you have secured internal agreement around budget and the number of places you can offer - it literally takes minutes! What makes it so simple, is the massive amount of support we receive from the LGA NGDP team along the way too. The team are fantastic – no question is a silly one, and they are approachable and respond quickly to any queries we may have. 

The new “buddy” scheme they have introduced for placement co-ordinators is brilliant too - it is so helpful to have someone else to talk too. The national meetings held regularly also encourage the sharing of best practice across all council’s involved in the scheme – we have been able to learn so much from others who have been involved longer. 

All the graduates we’ve interviewed and recruited have been of the highest calibre. The different stages of the recruitment process test different aspects of the candidate's knowledge, skills and experience. The result is really rounded, capable applicants with a lot to offer your organisation. It is important to note that not all the candidates are straight out of university – some also come with transferable skills from previous careers, which can bring invaluable new perspectives.

At Warwickshire we are committed to providing the NGDP graduates with a range of experience within different service areas across all our directorates. This allows them to make an impact across key areas of work from our county-wide response to levelling up, to working on core strategies for education and SEND.  While rotating through their placements our graduates have a home in our Corporate Policy team, giving them valuable experience in key local government issues. There is high demand across our services to secure a graduate which is testament to the high-quality work they produce.  

It is fair to say these are challenging times for local government recruitment - there are skills and supply shortages across the sector in key roles from planning to social work. 

What we love about the scheme is being able to work proactively with graduates to understand the kinds of roles they would be keen to go into longer term and helping to make that happen. We link regularly with our HR colleagues to talk about future roles coming up and the skills needed. So far, we have successfully retained all our graduates from the scheme, supporting their transition into permanent roles within the authority.

Absolutely, and without hesitation. It’s fantastic to be able to work with people embarking on their local government careers who are so passionate, driven and determined to make a difference in their local communities.

North Tyneside Council is committed to supporting and developing talent and acknowledges the need to recruit and retain the best. We know the value NGDP graduate trainees can bring and ensure that they get off to a flying start in their public sector career.

All those recruited have been of a high calibre. They have integrated quickly into the workforce, rapidly becoming valued team members. They have delivered several key projects and pieces of work. All the services who have had a NGDP graduate trainee placed with them have reported positive experiences. We have no problem identifying placements as services are keen to have these graduate trainees work with them because of the track record. 

NGDP graduate trainees have worked in a wide number of areas and have delivered multiple strategic projects. These encompass everything from managing our customer service programme, developing and embedding policies to ensure inclusion is at the heart of all the authority’s policies, and implementing a new poverty intervention fund and supporting our local fishing industry post-Brexit. Our first two graduates also devised and implemented a development programme for graduate entrants to the authority enabling us to better meet the needs of our new recruits. 

The programme enables us to recruit those at the beginning of their public service career who bring energy, initiative, and up-to-date thinking. They encourage our current team members to think anew, helping drive change and innovation. They also act as ambassadors for the authority helping us recruit and retain other talented individuals.

We would recommend the programme without hesitation. As well as the work and projects delivered by NGDP graduate trainees we appreciate the fresh perspective, drive, and commitment that they continue to demonstrate.

City of Doncaster Council has been involved in the NGDP since 2004, so we are extremely proud of our involvement and the impact the scheme has had on us and the current and former graduates. As a council we are always looking for innovative approaches and we continue to be excited to be a part of the NGDP as it represents our future. It equips our graduates with the leadership skills and experience necessary to excel in their careers.  

The beauty of this scheme is that each of the individual graduates have had a diverse and fantastic impact on the business of our authority, and we in turn have developed our approach to the programme to influence the future careers of graduates and ensure they have the best experience possible. 

Being involved with the NGDP for some time, the process of signing up to the scheme and the recruitment process couldn’t be easier. The support from the LGA is superb – they are always more than happy to help where they can and offer fantastic support and guidance when required. 

Every year, the calibre of NGDP graduates that we interview and go onto recruit is outstanding. Their enthusiasm and knowledge of the council is excellent for us and the public sector in general. The only challenge we face can be agreeing on who we appoint! 

NGDP graduate trainees work across all directorates and both the council, and the borough have benefitted from their work. Each of them has played a real part in delivering and modernising our services whether through undertaking projects as part of Doncaster Delivering Together, or providing essential support during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have consistently gone the extra mile for us and we are proud that our aspirations match their ambitions.

Like many employers, we have struggled to recruit suitable workforce to our organisation, particularly in the current climate. The NGDP allows us to attract capable and passionate people and develop a pipeline of future leaders – we retain the vast majority of the graduates that join us.  

Absolutely, the NGDP has allowed us to develop a pool of talent that have gone onto forger their careers and make a massive impact on the council and the borough.

We are living through a time of unprecedented challenge and the council has a vital role in supporting our community through the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as emerging hardships such as the cost-of-living crisis.  

We need the brightest and the best to join our team at Islington. Being a part of the NGDP provides us access to a national pool of diverse and energetic graduates who are motivated and passionate about making change towards a more equal future. It's also an investment in future leaders and managers who will continue to support our communities to thrive, whatever lies ahead. 

The sign-up process for the NGDP continues to be straight forward and well organised. Each year we use the sign-up form to indicate our interest and how many graduates we'd like to take – then it only takes a few minutes and we’re good to go.  

The LGA team then supports through each process of the application stage providing clear updates and guidance about the ask for each council, particularly to take part in promoting and informing candidates about your organisation and the interview stage. There is ample opportunity to ask question and share best practice through the placement co-ordinator monthly meetings. The LGA team are only ever an email away. 

We found the graduates we interviewed were passionate about making a difference in local communities and the different skills, knowledge and experience they could bring. The different stages of assessment mean that all candidates that reach interview stage are really capable and it is really just about finding the best fits. 

There were a diverse range of stories and backgrounds, from students recently leaving university keen to bring fresh ideas and approaches to local government, to existing council employees or graduates looking for new paths, challenges and opportunities to use their experience to drive meaningful change. 

We aim to place our candidates within areas of strategic priority across the council, providing clearly defined roles with opportunities for trainees to be challenged and stretched and the potential to make significant impacts. As a result, they've brought fresh ideas, passion and drive to a variety a key council projects. From leading on the development of our cross-council Challenging Inequality Strategy and service improvement initiatives across Adult Social Care Commissioning, Youth Justice and Community Safety, to supporting the review and delivery of large scale, high impact programmes such as our People Friendly Streets scheme, Holiday Activities and Food, and our Covid-19 community response. 

We design each placement as a defined role: clearly described, with a set of responsibilities and deliverables (not just an ‘extra pair of hands’ or filling gaps left by vacancies etc). Ideally, placements should be developed in response to a specific challenge that needs addressing or a particular project that needs undertaking. This supports us to fill challenges around capacity and to have a resource to pull on to bring fresh ideas and ways of working to our priority areas.

In the past few years we have managed to retain all our graduates after finishing the scheme, supporting to build our quality workforce in the long-term. 

We would definitely recommend the programme to other councils. Islington have participated in the NGDP since it began and there is strong commitment throughout the organisation, starting with the Chief Executive and Leader. All our directorates have benefited from NGDP graduates in recent years and the programme is well regarded. Given the value, contribution and impact, in recent years we have actually increased the number of trainees we recruit to each cohort! 

Cambridgeshire County Council have been committed to the NGDP for over 10 years. Most of our graduates secure permanent positions within the council at the end of the scheme. In 2022 we recruited four more graduates as part of Cohort 24. 

It is so easy. Reminders come from NGDP with clear deadlines, and we complete a simple form with our provisional request for the year. We also receive regular newsletters and updates to keep us informed of all aspects of the scheme. Our placement coordinator has signed up to be part of the buddy system for new councils too as we are always willing to support the programme. 

We are constantly thrilled by the calibre of the interviewees. It can be a difficult choice to decide which candidates to appoint and we would be happy to employ any of them.  

Over the years NGDP graduates have worked across the county council in areas including public health, adult social care, libraries, education, our outdoor centres, transport, the waste team, net zero and climate emergency team. All have been enabled to lead on projects particularly where change is involved. As well as gaining a real insight into how the council works on a day-to-day basis, there is always opportunity for partnership working.

As NGDP graduate trainees are valued across the organisation they are exposed to high priority projects. At Cambridgeshire County Council we have alumni in various services who closely support our current cohorts with placement queries and helping identify career opportunities. 

Definitely. Whether you have the capacity to offer one place or multiple, we highly recommend the scheme. The structure helps to manage within the workplace and the NGDP team are always available to support and offer guidance. 

We decided to utilise the NGDP as a way of obtaining high calibre, high potential early careers graduates into the organisation. The graduate trainees bring vibrant energy and new perspectives, enhancing the workforce by being inquisitive and showing tenacity to challenge the status quo and confidently contributing to conversations with senior leaders, staff and stakeholders both within and external to the organisation.

Signing up for the programme has been incredibly simple and easy. We are kept well informed of each stage in the process which is managed by the LGA until a smooth handover of candidates to the local authority for interview. Even beyond the recruitment process the NGDP management and support team are engaged and responsive to any queries and conversations.

Many of the NGDP candidates demonstrated how their values aligned to the public sector through their desire to really make an impact on society, with many of them having engaged in extra-circular activity relating to helping people either through roles in the university networks or part-time work. Aside from any prior experience (which wasn’t always necessary), what stood out was their passion and ability to communicate exceptionally well.

NGDP graduate trainees have worked on a variety of strategic projects across the organisation including:

• Adult Social Care: Prevention and Early Intervention
• Public Health: BLACHIR Review
• Children’s Services: Commissioning and Improving Services for Children and Families
• Children’s Trust Participation, Engagement and Co-production Strategy and Action Plan
• Digital and Customer Services: Digital Cities Programme
• City Housing: Delivery of the new Financial Inclusion Strategy 2023-2028

Often in these roles, graduate trainees have provided insight and intelligence through research and recommendations of where service improvements could be made. They have played key roles in communicating with business and community partners to maximise opportunities for joint working and engagement.

Our workforce age composition shows that only one per cent of employees are aged 20-29. The NGDP has helped us to recruit people that form a fundamental part of the pipeline for future leadership talent within Birmingham City Council – ultimately helping to meet our organisational goals of creating a workforce that represents our communities (young, diverse and from the region).

Based on the level of graduate talent we’ve acquired and the engagement and support from the LGA, we would absolutely recommend the NGDP to other councils. 

Croydon Council signed up in 2018 because we saw the great value there was in offering graduates their first step into local government by working in a London local authority with all the complex and career-shaping challenges that this brings. We also wanted to start developing a pool of diverse, young, talented people to stay and work in the organisation after they finished the development programme. 

The signing up process and the support offered by the LGA throughout the programme, and during the recruitment process in particular, is really well organised. It enabled us to quickly get the scheme up and running at a local level. The paperwork is kept to the minimum most valuable documentation required, and this is one of the virtues of this programme. 

Every year, we see up to 15-20 candidates, and we have been constantly impressed by the calibre of the graduates who want to join us. Consequently, NGDP graduate trainees in the council have gained respect among placement managers over the years based on their energy, high standard of work and their ability to take on challenging projects and deliver them well. The demand for NGDP graduates keeps on rising! 

NGDP graduates in Croydon have worked across a variety of services areas such as Adult Social Care and Childrens’ Improvement and Innovation teams, Commissioning and Procurement, Policy, Digital Services, Education and most recently the Mayor’s Office, since the council elected its first Executive Mayor in 2022. 

Croydon Council’s retention rate on the NGDP is 80 per cent, something that we are very proud of. Although some colleagues from our 2018 cohort have now moved on, we have a growing contingent of alumni who are in Grade 12 posts, working as lead officers on key strategic projects in Housing, Adult Social Care and the Chief Executive’s Office.  

100%. The NGDP programme is a great fast-track leadership and capability-building programme for local authorities to tap into. 

As a council we are keen to create opportunities for others to discover the range of careers on offer in local authorities, particularly in housing. The placement coordinator at our council started their career in social housing on a graduate scheme, so is a strong advocate for such programmes. Since the NGDP is the only national graduate scheme specifically for local government, we wanted to be involved and tap into the national network and wide talent pool available.

The process was quick and simple, and the team were flexible and accommodating, despite registering late due to unforeseen circumstances. Applicants looking for a placement were contacted with our opportunity and an interview was arranged shortly afterwards.

We have participated on the scheme through two cohorts so far and the standard of applicants has been very high both times – in fact, all candidates that we interviewed were appointable. Applicants are passionate about working in local government, show great potential and have good insight and understanding of the challenges we are working to address. 

NGDP graduate trainees are placed in the Housing & Assets directorate working on issues such as homelessness and decarbonisation. They support us by gathering and analysing data, implementing good practice examples and developing policy ideas, as well as making recommendations to improve our services. 

Recruitment and capacity are key challenges, and the programme helps us to grow our own talent and provide a much-needed resource on important pieces of work. 

Definitely - our placement coordinator has recommended the programme to a number of other councils as it offers great value for money and a high quality, well-structured programme that takes the hard work out of offering a graduate scheme.