Dear alumni,  

Wishing you a Happy New Year! We hope you were all able to have a restful break. As with many of you, we’ve hit the ground running and want to share some opportunities on how to get involved with the Impact Programme and Pathways to Planning. We also have a spotlight on support and offers from around the LGA. 

We look forward to sharing more updates with you throughout the coming year. If there is anything you would like to find out more about within the Impact programme or wider LGA programmes, please let us know by emailing leadership@local.gov.uk.  

2025 Assessment Centre Volunteers 

The Impact team are looking for volunteers to be assessors at our Cohort 27 Assessment Centres. They will take place from Wednesday 25 February until Monday 24 March. The assessment centres will be held virtually so you will only need a laptop and a good internet connection to participate. 

Being an assessor is an excellent development opportunity and a fantastic way to give back to the programme, assessing potential new leaders into the sector, in a context not seen in many standard interviews. You may remember being on the other side of the assessment centres not too long ago! We ask that volunteers commit to at least one full day of assessing plus attend a mandatory training session. Volunteers must have at least one year’s experience within local government. 

If you would like to sign up to be a volunteer, please fill in our expression of interest form. If you have any questions about volunteering, then contact impact@local.gov.uk.

LGA graduate programmes council sign up   

The LGA currently runs three different graduate programmes, and we would like to make alumni aware of each opportunity and how their councils can sign up if they are looking for graduates in any of these areas.   

Cohort 27 of Impact (formerly NGDP)  

Local councils are looking for the next generation of managers to lead critical projects and services that have tangible, everyday outcomes for people's lives. Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme seeks to match bright, passionate graduates with councils where they can deliver key projects and amazing value for money.  

Councils can sign up to take part on Cohort 27 of Impact by completing this short form.   

Applications from councils will be received until Friday 28 February 2025 though we would encourage you to sign up as soon as you are able. This is not only because it supports our planning activity, but also so that your council can be promoted sooner as a partner – which helps attract candidates that may be interested in working for your organisation.  

For more information or to discuss the programme please email impact@local.gov.uk.

London Finance Stream  

The Impact Finance programme aims to recruit and develop graduates passionate about public finance. During the programme, trainees gain hands-on experience at a participating council while studying for the CIPFA Level 7 Apprenticeship, including the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy's Professional Accountancy Qualification (CIPFA PAQ).  

Sign-up is open to councils in London only for Cohort 2.

For more information or to discuss the programme please email impact.finance@local.gov.uk.

Pathways to Planning  

Pathways to Planning is a new graduate programme, delivered by the LGA on behalf of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. In its first year, the programme’s pilot and first full cohort recruited 87 graduates to work in over 60 local authorities. The programme offers a bursary to enable postgraduate study and also a limited number of salary bursaries.  

Councils who know they can fund a graduate planner with a minimum salary of £24,000 can sign up using our form.

Councils who are interested but want more information, or are unsure how to fund part/all of a graduate planner’s salary can express an interest in the programme and book in a call with the team to discuss options and timescales. Deadline to sign up is 11 April. For more information please email pathways.planning@local.gov.uk.

Spotlight

National recruitment campaign for local government 

The LGA recently launched its National Recruitment Campaign for local government, ‘Make a Difference, Work for your Local Council’, to inspire individuals to explore career opportunities and make a difference in their community through a career with their local council.  

The national campaign features new imagery, videos and audio with individuals working across children’s social care, finance, planning and environmental health, highlighting real-life voices from the sector.  

A campaign toolkit has been created to enable councils to utilise the creative assets to promote the campaign in their local area, including social media content, posters, videos, banner stands and logos, and guidance on how to use the materials.  A new campaign website localcounciljobs.gov.uk includes information about what it’s like to work in local government and hosts a postcode search for job seekers looking for council roles, featuring every council and combined authority in England.  

For further information on how to get involved, please contact makeadifference@local.gov.uk. 

LGA conference 2025: Innovation Zone Applications now open!  

Each year, the LGA Conference Innovation Zone is a vibrant and creative space which showcases the outstanding, innovative work of councils across a range of service and policy areas. We are now accepting applications from councils, and organisations working with councils, to be part of the Innovation Zone at the LGA Conference 2025, which will take place from 1 - 3 July in Liverpool. 

If you have an innovative solution to a sector challenge, with excellent practice to share that delegates can learn from and utilise in their own authorities and communities, then consider applying for 2025! Further information, including the link to apply, can be found on our Innovation Zone webpage.