Local Government

Overview

There are approximately 600 occupational areas in local government. Work is within a wide range of departments including Education, Housing, Finance and Social Services. Roles include planning, regeneration, engineering, teaching, law, social work, environmental protection and economic development. Opportunities exist for graduates in the form of leadership and management positions. It is not unusual for individual local authorities to recruit graduates independently but there is a centralised graduate scheme for local government known as the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP).

AGCAS - the professional body for higher education careers advisory services ,has produced an Industry Insight for Government and Public Administration which provides an overview of what it is like to work in this area

Work experience

As with any sector of employment work experience is very important and local government is no different. Defining the nature of work experience is very difficult because of the sheer size and scope of the public sector. A graduate considering a career in town planning will have different experience needs to someone considering a career in public sector audit. In respect of the graduate entry programme, NGDP, specific work experience is not essential but compelling evidence of key transferable skills is essential.

Obtaining further insight into the work of local authorities is a very good starting point and could result in pre-entry experience. Consider attending public council meetings as means of experiencing some of the legislative and political issues being dealt with at a local level. Reports should be available in local libraries and in the press; the minutes of public meetings are usually accessible on individual local authority websites. There are opportunities for work placements and shadowing but this is largely achieved through speculative applications. Contact the personnel department of the authority you are interested in for information on work experience: details of local councils can be found on the LG Careers website. You should start applying as early as possible to maximise your chances of attaining a placement.

An alternative option is to focus on experience relevant to the aspects of local authority that interest you. For example, volunteering at youth and community centres will be appropriate to career roles within children and young people’s services. Experience outside of local government (private and not-for-profit organizations) can be a means of demonstrating your interest in particular aspects of governance, whether specific professions (e.g. lawyer, accountant, planner) or areas of policy (e.g. health, education, environment etc). Look at the prospects website and LG Careers for information on specific job areas; the individual job profiles highlight work experience requirements which will help you to consider your options. Consider the opportunities available through Durham University’s Student Community Action; this is particularly appropriate if you are considering community facing roles within local government.

Graduates can look for internships on the Graduate Talent Pool website. The opportunities are not exclusively in the public sector but local authorities and other relevant organisations (government departments, health authorities, universities) do advertise internships.

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Sources of vacancies

The sector - facts and figures

This data has been sourced from the National Graduate Development Programme website.

• There are 433 local councils in the UK (353 in England, 22 in Wales, 32 in Scotland and 26 in Northern Ireland)
• There are over 11,000 town, parish and community councils
• Local government in England and Wales is funded by grants from central government (about 48%), business rates (charged to local companies – about 25%) and council tax (charged to local people – also about 25%). The rest comes from sources such as car parks, parking permits and the hire of sports facilities
• Local government employs over two million people – one of the largest employers in the UK
• There are over 21,000 democratically elected local councillors (members) in England and Wales

Local Government is organised on the basis of service departments, for example, Education, Housing, Social Services and Finance. Local authorities are long-standing recruiters of graduates to professional roles in planning, regeneration, environmental health, teaching, law, social work, economic development etc. There are approximately 600 different occupational areas in local government and many of these roles require a relevant degree or postgraduate qualification. For more general posts an understanding of political structures and knowledge and experience of local government work are important and advantageous.

Graduate schemes - National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP)

Senior Managers have been traditionally drawn from other professions e.g. lawyers, accountants, planners. The aim of the National Graduate Development Scheme is to recruit high calibre graduates who will be capable of becoming senior managers in local government within 10-15 years. As this indicates, this is highly competitive. The two year scheme consists of a number of placements across a host local authority. The purpose of this is to give the individual a breadth of experiences but also to provide exposure to three key areas:

• Strategy and policy formulation
• Front-line service delivery (e.g. social care, education, transport)
• Support services (e.g. HR, IT, Finance)

The first placement is pre-arranged but subsequent placements are arranged in accordance with the interests and preferences of the individual. The application process consists of an on-line application, telephone interview and finally assessment centre. The closing date is normally early in January. See www.ngdp.org.uk for more information.

Other graduate opportunities

Some local authorities run their own graduate training programmes in different occupational areas, as well as general fast-track schemes in management. One such example is Kent County Council. Their graduate scheme consists of three streams: management, finance and highway transportation. Contact the personnel department of your local council directly to find out whether they run this sort of programme. The LG Jobs website, which specialises in local authority opportunities, provides a talent pool for graduates wishing to work in the sector.

In addition to graduate opportunities within local government, there are other interesting public sector recruiters. The NHS has an established graduate scheme but also runs a programme for clinical scientists (NHS Scientist Training Programme). The Bank of England and GCHQ are further examples of public bodies that recruit graduates.   

A small number of graduate schemes are also available in the housing sector. Housing associations are often not-for-profit or private sector organizations which actively work with local authorities in providing affordable accommodation.

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Direct entry

Essentially this covers all other recruitment into local government. Some graduates will enter as specialists, e.g. accountants, lawyers, scientists, engineers etc. These posts will often be advertised in the relevant professional press (e.g. New Scientist in respect of science posts) in addition to the vacancy pages of individual local authorities. Obviously professional level vacancies require tailored experience and qualifications; this must be taken into account when applying for opportunities outside of the graduate job market. Entry level opportunities (e.g. clerical assistant, technician) are open to graduates and represent a means of getting your first step on the local government career ladder.

Useful vacancy websites

Some of the best websites for finding vacancies in this career area are:

LG Jobs

• Opportunities advertised are for across the whole of the UK
• New opportunities are added regularly
• The website is free to use
• As well as vacancies there is some useful additional information about jobs and training in this career area
• The website is the main site for local councils to advertise their opportunities and vacancies are advertised here that you might not find elsewhere

Opportunities

• Opportunities advertised are for across the whole of the UK
• New opportunities are added regularly
• The website is free to use
• Can search by sector, job and area of the country
• Site for local councils and public sector employers to advertise their opportunities and vacancies.

Jobs Go Public  

• Opportunities advertised are for across the whole of the UK
• New opportunities are added regularly
• The website is free to use
• Contains public sector news
• Can search by sector, job and area of the country
• Site for local councils and public sector employers to advertise their opportunities and vacancies.

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Further study

Postgraduate study is not necessary for the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) but might represent a means of developing your understanding of issues connected to governance and public policy; broad based courses in areas such as public policy, politics or international relations are widely available. Some of the available courses have an emphasis on management within the public sector which may appeal to those seeking leadership roles in local government. Postgraduate study is perhaps of greater importance if you are keen to apply your knowledge and interest to a very specific area of local government or wish to also consider related employers such as think tanks, public affairs consultancies, trade unions and charities.

Outside of the NGDP, postgraduate study can be viewed as more important in terms of equipping you with the skills and knowledge to apply for specific career roles and professions. Postgraduate study linked to specific areas of employment (e.g. economics, education, town planning, finance, public relations, marketing, engineering, personnel, administration) are useful options to consider if you are confident about the specific career path you wish to follow within local government. Research based careers, possibly in the context of policy development, is an example of an area where a strong academic research background is important. Local authorities require experts within fields such as technology, environment, science, education, health and the economy; relevant postgraduate study can support those wishing to undertake research, advisory or policy based roles linked to specific fields of interest.        

Further information on postgraduate courses can be found on the Prospects and FindaMasters websites. Research the courses on offer before you apply; don't assume that they are all the same, particularly as the field of local government and politics is so diverse. It is vital to approach admissions tutors at an early stage to establish specific entry requirements. There are no absolute deadlines for postgraduate courses in this field but it is recommended that you apply early.

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Useful Websites

• "Who’s who in public affairs” is a useful resource but is unfortunately no longer produced as a publication. However, the Public Affairs News website contains some useful information on public affairs, and includes a section on "Who's who in public affairs".
• The APPC (the Association of Professional Political Consultants) website is a useful resource for information on political PR and lobbying

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