The requirements

What issues facing your community, and your generation, do you wish you could work on in a rewarding graduate job? From the climate emergency, homelessness and unemployment to urban regeneration, social care, and education, local councils are at the forefront of delivering real change for their communities. They are looking for the next generation of managers who have the passion and skill to navigate these critical issues, and hundreds of other pressing concerns, through whatever challenges lie ahead.  

Local government’s fast track graduate programme, the NGDP (national graduate development programme for local government) was set up to bring talented and motivated individuals into leadership roles within the sector. In Autumn 2021, the programme will be recruiting for a new cohort of talented National Management Trainees. Successful applicants will work for two years in one of 60+ partner councils on a minimum salary of £25,991 (as minimum, may be subject to increase pending pay negotiations). Over a minimum of three different placements, trainees are entrusted with challenging projects in key areas of council life where they can make a real contribution and gain valuable, career-defining experiences. They are supported as they take on these roles through mentoring and a fully-funded learning programme, which culminates in a qualification from the Institute for Leadership and Management.  

This varied and prestigious programme has a high record of success placing graduates in positions of management in local government upon completion of the scheme. If you want a career leading change in the public sector, this is the programme for you.

About you

The NGDP is passionate about recruiting graduates from all different backgrounds, universities and degree disciplines: our aim is to reflect the diverse communities that we serve. We are looking for people who have the right values and attitudes and who can demonstrate their motivation for a career in the public sector. No prior knowledge or experience is necessary, and additional support is available for under-represented groups during our assessment process so all candidates have a fair chance of showing us their full potential.

The NGDP particularly welcomes applications from graduates of Black African, Caribbean and Asian heritage backgrounds, as individuals amongst those backgrounds are currently under represented on the scheme. To read more about our commitment to increasing representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic graduates on the NGDP read about our equality and diversity work and about the NGDP BAME network which is run by current graduate trainees.

Successful applicants will need to demonstrate their understanding of our key skills and behaviours through a competitive, multi-stage application process. The NGDP runs one national recruitment process each year and helps several councils run local and internal recruitment campaigns.

Candidates can apply only once each year to the NGDP. To apply, candidates will need to have a 2.2 undergraduate degree in any subject by summer 2022 and be required to provide documentary evidence of their entitlement to work in the UK (in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006). The NGDP is unable to apply to sponsor a visa for candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK.

Please read before applying

As part of the application process, you are required to complete a Situational Judgment Test which is the only assessment you will need to complete at this stage.

The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) you are about to complete presents you with 16 realistic scenarios that someone might experience in a role on the NGDP, along with multiple ways of responding. The SJT will appear after you have completed your application question and you will need to complete the SJT before you can submit your entire application.

Instructions for the test:

This test is untimed and it should be completed in one sitting. You will be taken to the assessment page after answering your application questions.

You will need to organise each scenario into the order of response, depending on what you are most likely or least likely to do for each of the 16 questions. There are detailed instructions within the form.

If you experience any difficulties and require an accessible version of the application and test please contact ngdp.support@local.gov.uk who will provide this to you.

For further information please visit https://www.local.gov.uk/national-graduate-development-programme

Closing date: 12.00pm midday, Wednesday 5 January 2022

Interview Date: June 2022 (interviews will be held throughout June)