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 Tower Hamlets Council.

The role

Tackle youth unemployment. Fight social isolation. Improve social housing.

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme is 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 Tower Hamlets, our biggest issues are to improve people’s mental health and well-being, tackle racism, the housing crisis, cost of living, crime and antisocial behaviour, and enhance access to economic opportunities, and we are looking for two candidates from the local area to help influence on tackling these issues. 

For more information on our Strategic Plan: Strategic Plan 2022-26

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We are a Disability Confident Employer and care experience has also been adopted by the Council as an additional protected characteristic

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:

• Be a current resident of Tower Hamlets; or
• ​​​​​​Have studied (at a secondary or further education establishment, including school, college, university, PRU) in Tower Hamlets; or
• Be a Tower Hamlets Care leaver​​​​​​​

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:

1. Working with others
2. Effective communication
3. Planning and organisation
4. Results focus and adaptability
5. Analysis and problem solving
6. Motivation for learning and personal resilience
7. Commitment to local government and the wider community
8. 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.

The Deadline for applications is Midday 7th Jan 2025