The LGA’s graduate programme helps attract new talent to local government
In 2017, Rotherham Council employed its first national management trainee, Becky, via the LGA’s National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) for local government. Since that first time dipping our toe in the programme’s waters, we haven’t looked back.
We have employed a further 16 trainees and are excited to be taking on seven more this year. Our national management trainees (NMTs) are fantastic, and have become a real asset to the council.
The NGDP gained traction quickly from 2017: the majority of senior leaders and managers across the organisation have hosted or worked with an NMT over the past few years, and are fully converted to the benefits the scheme can bring to individual services and the organisation as a whole.
We are always looking for new approaches to recruiting and retaining talented members of staff. Being part of the NGDP allows us to bring in talented people with fresh ideas, while helping us to ‘grow our own’ generation of inspirational managers and leaders for the future. Nurturing the talent of individuals such as Becky and the rest of our NMTs is a key goal of our Workforce Plan.
We are proud that our NMT cohort is very diverse in style, thought and personality. Every one of them has made a true impact on the work we do, and is helping to deliver the best possible services and outcomes for our residents and communities.
We really look to maximise the potential of our NMTs by offering them interesting and exciting projects to work on, helping them to see the impact of their work across the borough, and introducing them to key players across the council.
“Our retention rate is really positive, with 10 out of 13 management trainees forging careers across the council”
Examples of projects on which NMTs have worked include: celebrating 100 years of council housing in Rotherham; reviewing COVID-19 protocols in adult services for residents, visitors and staff; creating and delivering a recycling learning programme for schools; and, most recently, recruiting and managing volunteers for the UEFA Women’s Euros.
We have implemented a specific induction programme to introduce NMTs to key council functions and to provide opportunities to meet senior leaders.
During induction, all NMTs attend a day out across the borough, where they can see and hear first hand about the projects going on to develop Rotherham, and about the varied culture and heritage of our town. We have found that this has enhanced the experience of our NMTs from day one.
Our retention rate is really positive, with 10 out of 13 NMTs forging varied careers across the council. This is brilliant for us as an organisation, as we continue to reap the benefits of their skills and experience.
It also shows that NMTs are choosing to stay with the council, which I think says a lot about their experience with us as part of the NGDP.
As leader of the council, I thoroughly recommend the NGDP. You will see some fantastic results, not just for your organisation, but also in a fresh collection of ideas and ways to implement improvements across your borough.
Talent spotting
The NGDP is the LGA’s flagship national graduate programme for local government and a Times Top 100 graduate employer. Through a highly competitive process, which attracted 4,500 applications last year, the programme matches bright, passionate graduates with councils across the country. Councils have until 31 March 2023 to sign up to participate in this year’s programme.