Graduate Recruitment in the Public Sector

1. Graduate Recruitment in the Public Sector David Henderson Careers Adviser d.m.henderson@durham.ac.uk http://durhamcasnews.wordpress.com

2. Contents • The current situation • Graduate schemes and other opportunities • What can you do? • Questions/discussion

3. What is the public sector? Key organisations • Local Government – employing in the region of 3million people • Civil Service – employing 2.5 million people • NHS – 1.5 million • Regional Development Agencies • Police • Prison Service • Social Services • Probationary Service • Armed Forces • Higher Education • Criminal Justice System

4. Impact on recruitment • Difficult to gauge the impact of spending cuts on public sector recruitment • Estimate figures of 500k jobs to be lost over next 5 years (CIPD/Office for Budget Responsibility); prospect of growth in the private sector? • 19% four year cut in department budgets • 7% cut for local authorities from April • NHS and English schools budget protected • Administrative positions likely to be hardest hit; ‘some’ protection for frontline services

5. Front line services • Nurses • Doctors • Midwives • Primary school teachers • Secondary school teachers • Fire service officers • Police officers • Social workers

6. Impact on recruitment • Likely to be harder for graduates to attain ‘entry level’ roles within public sector organisations • Recruitment likely to be more specific to ‘business need’. But… • Graduate schemes are still operating in the public sector • Continued investment in graduate talent

7. Civil Service Fast Stream • Graduate recruitment is protected • Closing date 30th November • Graduate (Central depts, Houses of Parliament, Science and Engineering, Diplomatic) HR, Technology, European, Northern Ireland • 2009 15k applications/585 vacancies (25:1) • Other opportunities advertised on: • www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs • www.work-for-scotland.org • http://wales.gov.uk/about/recruitment • www.nicsrecruitment.gov.uk

8. Other government schemes • Government departments and agencies operate graduate schemes that are independent of the Fast Stream • Too early to appreciate impact of spending cuts but a recruitment freeze in evidence in some departments; this extends to graduate schemes

9. Other government schemes…No • Audit Commission (www.whatisyouraudit.com) – organisation being disbanded • Highways Agency (www.highways.gov.uk/jobs) – not currently running (transport management) • Homes and Communities Agency (www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/graduates) – graduate scheme suspended (regeneration) • Forestry Commission (www.forestry.gov.uk) – Current freeze on recruitment including graduate scheme • Crown Prosecution Service – not currently recruiting • Government Procurement Service (www.resourcingmicrosites.com/ogc) • HM Revenue & Customs (www.hmrc.gov.uk/graduate/index.htm) – no graduate recruitment programme

10. Other government schemes…Yes • National Audit Office (www.naograduates.org.uk) – graduate scheme open now • GCHQ (www.gchq-careers.co.uk) – do not operate a graduate leadership programme but are recruiting graduates for specific vacancies • Government Legal Service (www.gls.gov.uk) – recruiting as normal and will be attending Durham Law Fair • DSTL (www.dstl.gov.uk/careers/gradrec.php) – currently recruiting; attended Information Fair • Environment Agency (www.floodriskcareers.co.uk) – not actively recruiting but considering speculative applications • DESG (www.desg.mod.uk/graduateops) – to be confirmed

11. NGDP (www.ngdp.co.uk) • 2011 scheme open, closing date January 10th 2011 • 80 trainees ‘normally’ recruited • Programme involves a series of placements within a host local authority • Local authorities do occasionally run independent graduate schemes e.g. Kent County Council (recruited between May and July last year) • Graduate Talent Pool (www.lggraduates.com) • RDAs source of employment at regional level but will be disbanded over the next 2 years

12. NHS • Indication is that it will run but not yet clear when the application process will begin • NHS Scotland are running their graduate management training scheme (closing date 8th Jan 2011) • 21k starting salary, 3 year scheme encompassing Masters in Health and Public Leadership (www.mts.scot.nhs.uk) • BUPA – private sector alternative. Management programme encompassing 3 placements including one in Spain. Closing date 15th Nov 2010. www.bupa.com/careers/graduates • NHS budget is protected which is positive in respect of health care professions (medicine, nursing, psychology etc)

13. Uniformed Services • Police – do not have a graduate scheme as such but do run a High Potential Development Scheme for existing staff. 14% cuts likely to impact recruitment www.policecouldyou.co.uk • Prison Service – Graduate leadership programme running this year. Closing date 10th December (www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/prisonleaders) • Armed Forces continuing with the recruitment of Officers • No specific graduate pathway in respect of emergency services; opportunities in the private sector linked to security/emergencies e.g. emergency planning service consultancies (www.the-eps.org), risk and security consultancies e.g. Kroll

14. Social Services • Probationary Service – no centralised recruitment scheme for TPOs but opportunities will be advertised regionally • Social Work – introduction in 2010 of ‘Step up to Social Work’ programme (www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/social-work/step-up-to-social-work) • Housing Associations starting to introduce graduate schemes e.g. Look Ahead (http://grad.lookahead.org.uk) • Strong private and voluntary sector in respect of the delivery of social services

15. Education • Education budget remains protected so less impact on recruitment of teachers and related professionals/support staff • Teacher training – bursary rates for 2011 to be announced soon • HE and FE sector will be affected but job opportunities may still be available to graduates in respect of internships, KTPs and trainee posts

16. Management Trainee (Intern) with Event Durham Details of position • Fixed-term Internship until 1st October 2011 • Full-time, 35 hours per week, • Grade 2 £13856-£14549 • Closing date 27th October 2010 To enhance the employment prospects of Durham students, Event Durham is able to offer an exciting opportunity to a Graduate from Durham University, in a marketing or business discipline. The appointment will be offered on a fixed-term basis until 1st October 2011. This post will offer "on the job" training specific to the expected outcomes for the role, to help trainees achieve their objectives and meet managers' expectations. ‘On the job' training is especially important for an individual with no previous work experience.

17. Other public sector recruiters • Network Rail – 22nd Dec (http://careers.networkrail.co.uk/graduates) • Bank of England – 15th Nov (www.bankofenglandjobs.co.uk) • FSA – 18th Nov (www.fsagraduates.com) • TFL – closing dates vary (11th Nov – Project Mgt, Management 3rd Jan www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/graduates) • BBC Production Trainee scheme – opens March 2011 (www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/pts) • Nuclear Graduates – closing date 3rd Dec (www.nucleargraduates.com) • Science and Technology Facilities Council (www.graduates.scitech.ac.uk)

18. What should I be doing? • Very focussed applications to those schemes that are available • Stronger focus in terms of career roles within the public sector – relevant qualifications and experience • Alternative graduate schemes and jobs in the private and voluntary sectors

19. What should I be doing? • Assessing your motivations for working in the public sector…could this be replicated in other organisations? • Are there specific areas of public sector work that interest you…environment, health, education etc • Applying professional experience in other sectors to public sector

20. Public sector job search • www.lgjobs.com • www.jobsgopublic.com • www.opportunities.co.uk • www.sector1.net (very useful for the NE) • http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/government • www.publicjobsdirect.com

21. Charity sector • Scope for voluntary organisations to play more significant role in delivery of public sector services • Very limited graduate schemes currently available in the voluntary sector: • Cancer Research • Teach First

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