The ngdp is a two-year graduate management development programme, run by the Local Government Association. The programme has been set up to provide local government with the high-calibre managers their communities need – and to give committed graduates the training and opportunities to make a positive impact to the sector. We can provide you with a launch pad for a successful leadership career in local government. We also recognise you as an individual and will place you right at the centre of your own careeer development.

Local government is the largest employer in England, with 1.2 million staff in over 350 local authorities and in excess of 500 different occupational areas. Since 2002 over 730 graduates have completed the programme and many now hold influential managerial and policy roles. Now is a time of huge change in the sector and trainees will make a real contribution to bringing these changes about.

National Management Trainees (NMTs) are employed by a participating authority on two-year, fixed-term contract. The programme is built on a series of placements in key areas within a council and offers a range of experiences and challenges. NMTs are given a broad understanding of different aspects of local government in strategy, front-line service and support. Over the two years they will also benefit from being part of a national peer group, giving them the opportunity to take part in a national induction event, join an established knowledge-sharing network and participate in an accredited series of learning and development components.

The programme has taken graduates in many different directions. Find out how you can make a difference.