Success Stories and Current Graduates

Success Stories

Anne-Marie - Project Manager

“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.”

Amani Ali

“During my placement as a National Management Trainee at Bradford Council, I worked within the Policy Team, where I led on the development of regional briefing notes for the Leader and Chief Executive. This role required synthesising complex information, working to tight deadlines, and producing clear, concise briefings to inform senior decision making. I coordinated a structured work package for an A level student on work placement, tailoring tasks to support their learning objectives and providing close guidance throughout their placement. I also played an active mentoring role for fellow graduate colleagues, offering peer support and contributing to their development while on the graduate scheme. Overall, the placement strengthened my policy, communication, and leadership skills and deepened my understanding of local government operations.

During my time in Adult Social Care, I supported the Promote the Vote campaign, focusing on increasing awareness and accessibility of voting for people with learning disabilities. I co designed a UK wide practice guide in partnership with the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), helping to promote inclusive democratic participation and best practice across the sector.

I delivered a workshop at Southend Council to support the launch of the practice guide on the BASW website, engaging with and networking alongside a range of local authority service representatives to share learning and encourage adoption. I supported home and school visits, speaking directly with young people with learning disabilities to better understand their experiences and perspectives of adult social care transitions.

I also led a focus group at a local user led organisation, which directly informed a dissertation style enquiry undertaken as part of the graduate scheme. This experience strengthened my research, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills, while reinforcing the importance of co production and lived experience in shaping inclusive social care practice. I participated in the Warwick University conferences, networking with colleague graduate trainees, and building connections through the workshops and further supporting the Muslim Network as a Media and Communications Officer. I co-designed social media content and led online meetings with colleague network members. 

My final graduate placement was within the Transformation and Change Programme Management Office (PMO), where I supported the delivery of cross council change initiatives. I contributed to projects spanning HR transformation, corporate emergency financial planning, a staff suggestions and engagement initiative, and customer contact improvement This role provided exposure to complex, organisation wide change and strengthened my project coordination, stakeholder engagement, and governance skills.

I completed the graduate scheme in November 2024, successfully passing the Leadership and Management Level 7 qualification and securing a full time role within the PMO. This placement consolidated my interest in transformation and project governance and management and marked a transition from trainee to practitioner within the council’s change function. I am currently delivering a website improvement initiative, providing governance and control to a customer contact programme, and strengthening the PMO function through lean improvement-style working.”

Current Graduates

Mohammed Abbas Hayat - Graduate Trainee

“In the 9 months I've spent in my graduate position in the Transformation & Change team, I've been privileged enough to experience working on many different projects and programmes in various different roles. During my time on these programmes, I've been able to bring about a real impact on the council and see cashable savings go to delivery that I helped locate.

I started by working on the Unitisation Programme in a PMO type role, assisting where possible on different document types and governance to help the Programme become a success and unitise different functions across the council.

I then worked in a Project Management type role, where I was tasked with upgrading the types of applications and software we used internally as a team. This helped immensely as I could directly see the impact on my fellow colleagues and gained valuable skills in confidence and project management whilst bringing my own digital skills to the forefront.

Finally, I worked on an ERP Programme which I am still operating in currently in a business analyst type role. I've been able to host workshops, use new tools and software, perform data analysis, facilitate LEAN sessions, and work with services across the council.

I've also been allowed to pursue training opportunities and a Business Analyst Apprenticeship to help me secure a new role within the team. The support has been endless, and my experience continues to grow positively.”

Molly Pheasey - Emergency Management Graduate

“I have really enjoyed my first seven months as an Emergency Management Graduate at Bradford Council. From the outset, I’ve been welcomed into a supportive team and trusted with opportunities that have helped me learn quickly, contribute to meaningful work, and build confidence in my role.

Through shadowing officers, supporting day to day activities and completing a wide range of training delivered by both the council and the West Yorkshire Resilience Forum, I’ve developed a strong understanding of how emergency management operates within a local authority. Courses such as JESIP, Recovery Command Training, Resilience Training and Gold Command Room Training have strengthened my technical knowledge and given me valuable insight into how partners coordinate during complex incidents. I’ve also become confident using key systems like Resilience Direct, which has been essential for understanding how information is shared in real time.

A significant part of my development has come from spending time with teams across the council. Working alongside Corporate Risk, Mortuaries, Environmental Health, CCTV, Civil Enforcement and others has given me a much clearer picture of how different services operate and the roles they play during emergencies. These visits have also helped me build strong relationships across the organisation, supported further by the Graduate Network and opportunities to attend senior management networking meetings.

I’ve taken part in multi-agency exercises at both West Yorkshire and national level, working with partners including the emergency services, ICBs, utility companies, the Environment Agency and other local authorities. These exercises have covered a wide range of scenarios, from drought and pandemic planning to cyber incidents and terrorist attacks and have been invaluable for understanding how organisations coordinate under pressure and how strategic decisions are made during major incidents.

Alongside this, I’ve had opportunities to observe and support real incidents in the district, both on scene and from the control room. Through this, I’ve attended multi-agency coordination meetings, contributed to situational reporting, and engaged directly with residents affected by incidents. These opportunities have built my confidence and shown how principles from training and exercising translate into real-world response.

I’ve gained a huge amount of experience in a short time, and I’m excited to continue developing throughout the rest of the graduate scheme.”

Nicole Hempsall - HR Graduate Trainee

“During my time as an HR Graduate, I have gained well-rounded experience across several key HR functions. I have supported the Employee Relations team, developing my understanding of policy application, drafting letters and effective stakeholder communication. I have also contributed to an allowances audit, gaining insight into reward processes, data accuracy, and governance, as well as supporting wider reward activities. This developed my skill set in reviewing terms and conditions, reviewing contracts, and payroll calculations.

In my current role within Workforce Learning and Development, I have strengthened my understanding of skills development and upskilling the workforce. This has been through tasks such as digital skills development, a coaching project, working on manager inductions, and organising the senior manager networks. This role has developed my confidence and ability to lead and co-produce projects, and pieces of work with the support of my team. These opportunities have allowed me to build strong analytical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, while increasing my confidence and capability as an HR professional.”