The NGDP helps councils to build a diverse pipeline of talent. It is a flexible programme, making it easy for councils to shape the programme in a way that both meets their needs and provides a brilliant experience for graduates.
The work the LGA does for organisations participating on the NGDP is highly subsidised, and we deliver the bulk of the administration of the programme. We give you support and advice to develop your graduates, and bring you into a network of partner organisations all sharing tips and knowledge on developing the talent of the future.
The NGDP provides councils opportunity to access high calibre recruitment at a lower cost. You can read more about the benefits of the Programme below. You can also find more information about what the NGDP can do for you in our Council information pack.
The NGDP’s flexibility is a key strength of the programme, which allows the programme to be implemented across vastly different authorities, of all types, sizes, and geographies – helping meet their differing needs. You can shape the programme around the needs of your organisation.
The NGDP supports councils to:
fill gaps in key parts of the organisation
attract a diversity of candidates to their organisation
develop talent within the existing workforce
work collaboratively with partner councils to attract talent.
The NGDP helps councils build capacity in their workforce. Being part of the NGDP allows councils to start thinking earlier about longer-term succession planning and future leadership potential.
Whilst we ask organisations to ensure a minimum of three placements over two years for their graduates, it is entirely up to you where you put their talent to use. Some partner councils have fixed placements in high demand areas, such as housing, social care, children’s services and regeneration. Others place the graduates on fast-paced transformation projects that require new ideas and agile thinking. It’s really up to you.
Growing your own talent is less costly than recruiting higher up in the management structure, and taking on a graduate through the NGDP ensures you will have additional corporate capacity and capability at a senior level. Amongst our alumni you’ll find chief executives, heads of service and managers of flagship and transformational local government initiatives.
As a national scheme, the NGDP promotes local government to the graduate market on behalf of councils in England and Wales. Last year, NGDP attracted applications from over 4,500 graduates.
The LGA runs a rigorous, comprehensive, multi-stage recruitment process specifically designed around the needs of our sector. All applicants must have a minimum of a 2:2 degree and are subject to situational judgement and video assessments before taking part in a bespoke local government assessment centre.
We whittle down from a very large national pool to only the brightest and best. By the time we ask you to interview gradates, you will be seeing only the highest calibre, public-sector minded graduates.
Graduate recruitment can be time-consuming and demanding on council resources. The NGDP gives councils access to a national marketing and recruitment campaign to draw from a large talent pool, reducing costs and helping to identify the most promising future leaders for your council.
As a Times Top 100 graduate employer, the NGDP attracts the best talent to the sector with thousands of applications every year. The NGDP recruits graduates from all different backgrounds, universities and degree disciplines, with the aim of reflecting the diverse communities councils serve. Diversity and inclusion are priorities for the NGDP and we take steps every year, at all stages of the programme, to ensure we are as diverse a programme as possible. You can read a blog about our work on diversity and inclusion in the NGDP. We market the NGDP at a national level, including extensive engagement at university careers fairs and promotion in national publications. This can help attract candidates that might not normally have links to your local area, or might not normally hear about your organisation.
For councils who sign up before candidate applications close, we will also promote with your local universities and provide additional support to attract graduates specifically interested in your council. The Programme can also help councils retain graduate talent in their respective local areas by providing the option to recruit graduates who might otherwise move away. We can work with you to agree a definition of what ‘local’ means to you, and help you recruit candidates who specifically fit that bill.
We work with you to advertise to your local community and attract your local candidates. Those who apply through this route go through all the same assessment stages as the national recruitment, which ensures the same high calibre as all other recruits. Once on the programme, your local graduates still benefit from being part of the national NGDP cohort and learning and development programme.
NGDP graduates also benefit from a prestigious national learning and development programme, covering all the key components required for aspiring public sector managers. The graduates get access to networks and contacts it would be difficult for a smaller scale scheme to achieve.
Management trainees are provided with national networking and learning opportunities across sectors and have access to partners such as central government, from the private sector and other local authorities. This not only enriches the experience for the management trainees, but brings a wealth of best practice and knowledge back to partner councils.
The NGDP can offer a development opportunity to internal staff who you have identified as the future managerial leaders of your council. There is an option for existing members of your staff to apply to, and if successful, join the NGDP programme whilst remaining with your organisation. This can be a great way to develop staff who you see a real potential in, but who might not otherwise get the opportunity to fast-track their career in the way the NGDP allows.
Internal applicants would apply and go through all the regular assessment stages. If successful – passing all the stages any other candidate would – they are then allocated automatically to your organisation.
As with other NGDP recruits, you would need to pay them the minimum salary (though you can pay more if their existing salary is higher) and ensure they get the minimum of three placements across the organisation. They then get the benefit of fast-tracking their career in your organisation, as well as joining a national cohort of over 250 other graduates, plus benefiting from our bespoke learning and development programme.
We work with councils of all types, including combined authorities and city regions. Whilst our main partners are councils, other types of local authority (such as fire and transport authorities) and organisations can also take part.
Some smaller organisations believe that they will not have a broad enough range of placements to offer graduates, or the internal capacity to meet their needs. If this is a concern, it is possible to host graduates jointly with a partner organisation (or as a consortium) to share responsibility. This might be a county/district partnership, more than one smaller council working together, a council and a fire authority, or any other grouping, as long as you agree with us how you’d like it to work.
