Hear what our graduates have to say

We are very lucky to have truly excellent graduates who work with our organisation, many of which have progressed to permanent roles. We strive to offer our graduates ongoing support to help them achieve their maximum potential. We asked some of our past and current graduates about their experience with our graduate programme, and here is what they had to say.

Amani Ali

The NGDP has afforded me with a range of opportunities and growth, across the Policy Team, the Preparation for Adulthood Team, and Transformation and Change PMO, where I have recently been appointed as a programme officer! I have collaborated with colleague graduates via staff networks where I was the Media and Communications officer for the NGDP Muslim Network. I also hold mentoring opportunities for colleague graduates which is an amazing opportunity.

Some of the key highlights in the Policy Team include leading on coordinating weekly briefing notes for the Leader and Chief Executive. I was entrusted with coordinating an A-level students’ work experience where I closely supported their learning needs. In Adult Social Care, I supported the Promote the Vote campaign, and I designed a UK-wide practice guide with the British Association of Social Work (BASW), raising awareness for voters with learning disabilities. I delivered a workshop at Southend council to support the launch of the guide on the BASW website.

My time in Transformation and Change has afforded me with a range of transformation opportunities across the council, and I am involved in projects across HR, emergency financial planning, and more recently, supporting the development of a new Council website.

I have gained experience and insights from the three services, as well as achieving a Level 7 Certificate in the Institute of Leadership and Management via a dissertation enquiry and self-directed research. I am excited to embark on future opportunities within the team and the wider Council.

Sam - Programme Officer

During my time on the NGDP, I was involved in several key projects. One of these was the Fleet Efficiency Project, where I learned how to work in a small team to achieve defined objectives in identifying efficiencies that could be made in the Council's Fleet Service. I also experienced the full project cycle by seeing the project through from its initial scoping phase to its completion. Additionally, I learned how to give succinct presentations to senior officers in Bradford Council around my work and the project's benefits. Through this project, we identified significant cost avoidances within the Council's Fleet Service. We also helped to re-engineer business processes around how vehicles are procured by Bradford Council, to reduce time delays and better inform the move away from traditionally fuelled vehicles and towards Electric/Hydrogen vehicles.

Another key project that I worked on was the Welfare Advice Needs Assessment Project. I was asked to write a report on the key areas of people's lives where welfare advice services (such as the Citizens Advice Bureau) could make a difference. I learned how to write in a concise, factual manner and how to back up my writing with both qualitative and quantitative evidence. I also learned how to conduct independent research, and how to ask the right questions of people currently working in Bradford's welfare advice system. This project identified pressing areas of need for welfare advice, particularly around the cost-of-living crisis and increasing demand for Universal Credit. It also assessed how these rising areas of need could best be addressed, for example through investment in self-service advice and through offering consultations to occur via video conferencing, making welfare advice easier to access.

Since completing the NGDP, I have been successful in securing a permanent position in the council’s Transformation & Change PMO. In my new role I have applied many of the skills that I developed on the scheme. I have been able to utilise my experience working on the whole life cycle of projects, by implementing proper governance and quality standards in projects and ensuring that they deliver the best possible benefits to the council. Additionally, I have continued the improvement work that I started with the council’s Fleet Service. By utilising my communications and analytical skills, I helped to bring together key individuals in understanding what the long-term requirements of the service will be, particularly around how fleet depots are used.

Anne-Marie - Project Manager

“What I learnt; my development: I have been working as part of the Data and Analytics team within the Office of the Chief Executive on the localities project, which sits in the Department of Place. I have made a data tool to help inform locality working plans which has shown me how data and intelligence are incorporated into Council working priorities alongside local knowledge and soft data. I have learnt how to manage and self-direct my work to fulfil expectations in the way I believe is best. This has been a great opportunity to explore my own working style as I worked on creating the data tool. I have had the opportunity to present in front of different groups such as internal stakeholders, the Civil Service, the VCS and Councillors.

My next placement was then in Economy and Development Services where I was able to continue developing similar skills, as well as placing more emphasis on project management through working on funding streams, Town Fund, and clean growth.

My third placement was in the Transformation and Change PMO in Corporate Resources. In this placement I was able to develop a wide range of project management related skills, alongside a professional qualification. The breadth of work this this team does crosses all service areas in the Council and gives you exposure to senior managers in project environments, focusing on issues that are most important to the organisation. During my time in this placement, I successfully applied for a Programme Officer role, and 8 months later then successfully applied for a Project Manager position in this team, which is my current role.

Along with previous graduates we established a young person’s network at the Council, which we hope will increase the profiles of all young and provide opportunities to socialise with young people whatever their position, department, or role, who you otherwise might not come across.”