This is an opportunity for local candidates to apply to become a Graduate Management Trainee as part of Cohort 27 of Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme on a fixed-term contract until Autumn 2027 for Brent Council.

The role

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme recruiting over 250 talented Graduate Management Trainees for its Autumn 2025 intake. Successful applicants will have two years to influence some of society’s big issues, from social care and housing to education and the environment, while training to be one of local government’s next generation of managers. It is the only national graduate programme specifically for local government.

Here at Brent, our biggest challenges are Housing, Social Care, Public Health and Inequality, Community Cohesion and Isolation, and Employment and Skills, particularly for young people and marginalised groups, and we are looking for 5 candidates from the local area to help influence on tackling these issues.

Our five priority areas are:

Prosperity and Stability in Brent
A Cleaner, Greener Future
Thriving Communities
The Best Start in Life
A Healthier Brent

For more information on our Borough Plan and Priorities; Brent Borough Plan 2023 - 2027 | Brent Council

Benefits of Brent Council’s local scheme

Support throughout the application process: Please see our ‘graduate programme page’ for details of the sessions we are holding to support applicants.
Optional third year: Brent Council will guarantee graduates, who complete the core programme satisfactorily, a further 1 year fixed-term contract.
Live and work in a diverse area you are familiar with: The local scheme is a unique opportunity for Brent locals to make a positive impact in their borough and provide experience in a forwarding thinking and socially responsible council.
Exposure to senior leaders: All graduates are assigned a senior mentor who will be a director from the Senior Management Team. Alongside this, graduates will be given the opportunity to have informal lunches with the Chief Executive.
Strong support network: Peer support will be provided throughout the scheme and beyond.

Employed on a fixed-term contract, trainees will rotate between different placements to develop their skills and knowledge alongside studying for a postgraduate-level qualification from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). This is a varied and prestigious programme which has a high record of success developing graduates into local government managers and leaders.

Your local application will progress in the same timeframe as Impact’s national campaign, and you will be assessed alongside national candidates. The Programme facilitates the assessment of all nominated local candidates in line with national candidates to ensure they meet the same standard.

By applying as a local candidate for our local authority, successful applicants who reach the final stage of the recruitment process will be guaranteed an interview with us during (or after) April 2025. Please be aware that local candidates will be exclusively interviewed by their chosen council, and interviews are usually held earlier than those held nationally.

The requirements

In order to apply for our local position for the chance to be our local Graduate Management Trainee, you must meet the following criteria:

You will have obtained a 2.2 undergraduate degree in any subject by summer 2025
You have the right to work in the UK without employer sponsorship

(Successful applicants will be required to provide documentary evidence of their entitlement to work in the UK from the start of the programme for the full duration. The Programme is unable to sponsor a visa for candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK)

You must also:

Currently a Brent resident and have been for 2 or more years; or
Former student at a Brent secondary or further education establishment, including school, college, PRU; or
Be a Brent Care leaver; or
Have been a Brent Council Employee for more than 1 year.

About you

We support Impact’s goal to recruit graduates from all different backgrounds, universities and degree disciplines; our aim is to reflect the diverse communities that we serve. We are looking for people who have the right values and attitudes and who can demonstrate their motivation for a career in the public sector, and who are genuinely interested in our area.

Successful applicants will need to demonstrate their understanding of the Impact key skills and behaviours through a competitive, multi-stage application process. Local candidates participate in the same process as national candidates but have the advantage of a guaranteed interview with their desired participating authority.

Applications will be assessed on the Impact key skills and behaviours:

Working with others
Effective communication
Planning and organisation
Results focus and adaptability
Analysis and problem solving
Motivation for learning and personal resilience
Commitment to local government and the wider community
Leadership potential

Additional information

Candidates can apply only once each year to Impact and candidates that choose to apply for a local role cannot apply to the national scheme alongside the local application.

Should you choose to apply to this role please note that your application will be held by the Local Government Association (LGA) who host Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme. As the employer, we will have access to view essential details that allow us to progress applications for our local candidates.

For further information please visit https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/councillor-and-officer-development/impact-local-government-graduate-programme or contact the Impact support team at impact.support@local.gov.uk.

Brent Council

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Impact Graduate Management Trainee