Sign up to the NGDP


Shona from Sutton (ngdp)


Councils are usually able to sign up to the NGDP annually between September and the end of February.

Even outside of the sign up window mentioned above, it may be possible to recruit bright and motivated graduates through the NGDP and help develop the future leaders of the sector. Please get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected] for an informal conversation about the programme.

In order to be flexible and meet your organisation’s particular needs, there are a number of options available to you when signing your council up to the NGDP. All options have the same salary requirements and fee.

National Management Trainee

  • Recruited through a national pool of graduates from across the UK.
  • Our rigorous and competitive recruitment process means we select the highest calibre graduates for you to interview.

Shared National Management Trainee

  • All the benefits of participating in the full programme but NMT(s) and their placements are shared between councils.
  • Partnerships and practical arrangements are the responsibility of the councils involved.
  • Employment is divided proportionately between participating councils and the fee per graduate will be split between the councils.

Local recruitment

  • Your council promotes to candidates from your local area in the same timeframe as the NGDP's national campaign.
  • Local candidates follow the same assessment process as national candidates, to ensure they meet the same high standard.
  • Successful candidates will become part of the national cohort with access to NGDP learning and development, networks and knowledge events.

Contact the NGDP team by emailing [email protected] for an informal conversation about the programme.


Find out about City of Wolverhampton Council's experience as an NGDP partner in the video below.