What career should I pursue?: The NGDP graduate scheme

You’re in your second or third year of university, and you have no idea what to do after your degree. The thought of deciding what jobs to apply for is intimidating. But you know you want a career that is fulfilling and makes a difference to people.

Does that sound like you?

If so, then a career in local government may be the answer. And you could fast-track your career by enrolling in the NGDP scheme.

Local government isn’t a career path many young people consider. Most of us probably assume that our local councils mostly exist to pick up the bins and receive complaints about potholes.

So what if I told you that you were mistaken?

Why should you consider a career in local government?

Local government careers offer a diverse wealth of opportunities for young people.

In fact, local authorities deliver over 800 different services to their local communities. And behind those services are close to two million employees, working to solve challenges such as climate change, social equity, and housing.

These departments deliver crucial services to our communities, promoting local wellbeing and environmental sustainability. The local government sector is quite simply, an unsung hero in the day-to-day running of the country.

If you’re looking for a career which allows you to make a real impact on the world around you, you need not look any further.

Benefits of a local government career include:

• Community engagement:
  Engage with your community through outreach and collaboration with residents to deliver services.
• Problem solving:
  Overcome challenges for local government and use your problem-solving skills to help those in need.
• Learning and development:
  Councils across the UK offer fantastic learning and development opportunities, allowing you to continuously evolve your career.
• Job stability:
  Careers in local government offer greater job stability than the private sector, an increasingly important factor during a tight labour market and the cost-of-living crisis.
• Comprehensive benefits:
  Although it seems like an issue for way off in the future, public sector benefits packages offer some of the best pension schemes to invest in your future. You can also expect to see initiatives that heavily emphasise work-life balance.
• Ethical work:
  If you are someone who places a high value on ethics, you can rest assured that your work will be promoting community wellbeing and responsible practices.
• Make your mark:
  Councils are increasingly looking for young people to join their ranks, valuing fresh perspectives in policy-making and delivering initiatives.

So how do you get your foot in the door of a local government career?

The National Graduate Development Programme 

The National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) is a scheme run by the Local Government Association (LGA). It has been running for over 20 years and aims to match bright graduates with one of 100 Councils across the country.

The LGA designed the scheme to provide a fast-track into management, providing a step up into a public sector career alongside excellent learning opportunities.

The starting salary for successful graduates sits at a minimum of £30,296, and offers the opportunity to undertake 3-4 placements over 2 years. Service areas that you may opt to take your placements in include but are not limited to:

• The Chief Executive office
• Social care
• Housing
• HR
• Law
• Finance

To find out more, we spoke to Ruth Walters, who undertook her placement at Cambridgeshire County Council with NGDP cohort 24.

An interview with a current NGDP graduate

What does your role on the NGDP entail?

“At Cambridgeshire County Council, graduates on the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) can work in three or four placements over the two-year period. I chose to do three placements, the first two being sixth months each and my third being a year.

For my first placement I worked in Adult Social Care, understanding how we can improve co-production with our service users to improve their experience.

For my second placement, I moved to the Internal Communications team where I worked on a number of projects. This included a film showcasing our employees, promoting our corporate net zero goals, a weekly newsletter and a podcast.

For my final placement, I am working in the Communities team to establish a Cambridgeshire Prevent board. On a daily basis this involves understanding terrorist and extremist risks in the county, managing a multi-agency action plan and working alongside partners and other local authorities.”

What appealed to you about working for the public sector?

“Leaving university, it was important to me that I found a job that I would find fulfilling and that helped others. The NGDP provides graduates an opportunity to achieve both simultaneously.

Being able to do multiple placements in different service areas also provides a great opportunity to understand what type of role you may want to pursue following the scheme. The scheme also involves an ILM Level 7 Leadership and Management qualification.

Working for a local authority comes with benefits such as a good pension scheme, flexible working arrangements and a strong focus on employee wellbeing.”

How did you find out about the graduate scheme?

“I came across the NGDP when searching on Google for public sector graduate schemes. It was not a scheme that I had seen before on other job sites or heard of through my university. After reading some more information on the LGA website, I decided to apply.

The application process involved situational judgement tests, a video interview, and an assessment centre. After this, I was given a list of local authorities I could apply to and was allocated interviews at three of them.”

What support have you had during the graduate scheme?

“On the scheme you are allocated a placement coordinator and a senior mentor to support you. My placement coordinator was previously on the scheme and now has a permanent role at my council. Her role is to help provide day-to-day support with my placements and progression.

I meet with my senior mentor once a month. These sessions are focused on my longer-term career goals and my mentor is able to provide helpful insights into her career experiences.

I have also received support from the council’s scheme lead and each of my placement managers throughout, with regular check ins and 1:1s. There are several NGDP alumni at Cambridgeshire, so we are all able to provide support to each other.”

What would you say to someone looking to pursue a similar career in local government?

“The public sector, especially local government, is not a path I had considered or even really heard about before starting the scheme. Local governments are making a conscious effort to increase younger employees within their authorities. It is an extremely fulfilling career and offers a lot of progression.”

Take your first step into a career in local government

A career in the public sector can be incredibly rewarding. At a time when local authorities are experiencing significant challenges, you will have a chance to make change for important issues affecting out local communities.

Applications for the next cohort of the graduate scheme open in Autumn of 2024.

If you’re interested in taking the next step after your degree, head over to the LGA website to submit your expression of interest form.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for more jobseeker tips or news, don’t miss our Careers Advice blog!