The National Graduate Development Programme at Waltham Forest

We are committed to ensuring our NGDP graduates can secure permanent positions at the Council beyond the scheme.

The scheme offers a uniquely diverse and broad experience of working in the Council. It leaves graduates in a very strong position to secure jobs after the two years are over. Having moved around the Council across various departments, graduates will have developed a range of relationships. These relationships will benefit them as they look to secure employment beyond the scheme. The extensive support network outlined earlier, as well as the Council’s Employment team, will always be on hand to help graduates progress to permanent roles. This can be done through:

• organising mock interviews
• supporting with writing successful job applications
• and having an honest and informal chat about the role

Many graduates have progressed to more senior roles within the Council. Here are a few examples of what our ex-graduates are doing now, and why they stayed at Waltham Forest!

Toby Stone (Cohort 21): ‘I joined Waltham Forest in 2018, working on London’s first borough of culture year. I worked on some really cool events in roles including project management, evaluation and legacy development. I am now a Senior Policy Officer, having progressed through Project Coordinator and Policy Officer roles since leaving the grad scheme. I work primarily on developing improvements to the local area through a 15-minute neighbourhood model, and a new Community Safety Strategy. Other projects have included leading on the Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion programme, a SEND Strategy, the Climate Emergency Commission and a host of smaller projects. It was never my plan to stay at Waltham Forest for so long, but I have always had opportunities to develop here and try out lots of new and innovative projects. The Strategy and Change team I am in is always so welcoming and positive, we get on really well and that makes all the difference in enjoying work.'

Simon Hooper (Cohort 23): ‘I joined the council as a graduate in 2021 after having completed an MSc in Environment, Development and Politics and a BA in Political Science. Over my time on the NGDP scheme at Waltham Forest, I worked on some really exciting placements and managed to meet some amazing people! I started in the Climate Emergency team helping build the Climate Action Plan, then moved into the Elections team training staff and leading my own team on election night. I then worked in in the Chief Executive Office, supporting on priority projects including getting beehives on the roof of the Town Hall! Finally, I moved into the Family Hubs programme, enhancing our existing offer to children and families in the borough and leading on developing our digital offer. I really enjoyed life as a graduate at Waltham Forest, in particular my final placement in Family Hubs, and have recently left the scheme to take up a full-time role as Project Coordinator and Digital Lead for the Family Hubs project. This felt like the perfect next step, with a role that I enjoy and a team that I really get along with. I’m thrilled to be staying at Waltham Forest for another few years (at least!) and would really recommend the NGDP scheme here for anyone considering it!'

Ellie Miller (Cohort 21): 'I joined the grad scheme at Waltham Forest in August 2021, starting in the Borough of Culture team half way through our year as London’s first Borough of Culture. This was a really exciting role to start with as it was very different from what I imagined council work to be like before joining and offered great variety in what I did. As I’ve grown up in the borough, it was great to transition from being at culture events as a resident, to delivering them and seeing all the work that goes into it. My next few placements continued to surprise and excite me with the breadth of work and responsibility I was trusted with, from supporting the London-wide response to Covid as part of the Leadership Office, to developing an employment strategy for residents with learning disabilities, to helping shape the Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programme. Towards the end of my final placement in the Strategy and Communities Team, I was offered a role as the Chief Executive’s Policy Support Officer, a new position within the Leadership Team. This role was a great opportunity to combine my experience from a placement in the Leadership Office with my placement in the Strategy team and I was able to lead on projects across both teams, such as developing a grant programme for community groups to hold events in Fellowship Square and supporting the development of the 15 minute neighbourhood’s model. After 6 months, I was looking for a new challenge and new experiences so I moved into a role as the Autism Strategy and Employment Project Manager, giving me a chance to focus on strategic and delivery elements of a niche programme. This is the role I’m still in today, trying to make our borough more inclusive and welcoming for everyone.'