Apprenticeships provide people with an opportunity to learn on the job, gaining knowledge and skills and achieving qualifications while earning money. The LGA's apprenticeship support programme aims to help councils maximise the return on investment of their apprenticeship levy.
T Levels are qualifications for students after GCSEs and are equivalent to three A Levels. These two-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, to ensure it meets the needs of all parties. As part of T Levels, students need to complete an industry placement. Councils are working with providers to offer these placement opportunities. Students have already completed placements within digital, planning and construction teams.
The LGA's T Level toolkit provides advice and guidance to councils to support the planning and delivery of T Level industry placements.
National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP)
The LGA offers talented graduates a launch pad for a rewarding leadership career in local government. Graduates have the opportunity to apply for the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP), a two-year programme where graduates are placed in councils with the aim of developing their skills to become leaders of the future.
NGDP Finance
The NGDP Finance Graduate Scheme is a specialised stream within the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) designed for graduates who want to pursue a career in public finance. It offers a unique and tailored development pathway into local government and other public services for aspiring finance professionals.
Pathways to Planning
Pathways to Planning offers councils a new and creative way to diversify their planning teams’ talent pipeline. It is intended to build capacity within councils by bringing more graduates into planning teams now and fast-tracking their careers to fill gaps at every level in the future.
Some university courses include a year in industry, which allows undergraduates to spend a year of their studies working within the area of their chosen subject.
Councils may run scholarships which give young people the opportunity to work within local government and provide them with an insight into different roles.
As part of a student’s course, they may be required to complete a work experience placement. This is a great opportunity for your council to work with young people.
The LGA’s work experience plan can support your council in developing work experience projects and activities.
We also have a slides from a presentation on what a good work experience placement looks like.
Supported internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with special educational needs (SEND), who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The core element of a supported internship study programme is a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach. Some councils offer supported internships as a route into local government. Further information on supported internships can be found on the Department for Education (DfE) website.
Care leavers may face barriers to overcome when starting their careers. Therefore, it is important to ensure they are supported and given opportunities to secure their next steps. As a council you could set yourself targets for offering apprenticeships, entry level work or other opportunities to care leavers. You will also want to consider what support you offer both in the application process and during their employment. This could include financial, housing and skills development. We have a support for care leavers resource pack which explains more.
Consider what other programmes are available to engage with young people and early careers. For example, councils had success in supporting young people with the Kickstart Scheme when it was running.