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Generalist Graduate Programme

Produced by HCC Property Services Generalist Graduates

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Entry Requirements: 2:1 Degree in any discipline

Salary: Grade D (please see online job description for details)

Location: Winchester City Centre

Duration: 2 years followed by a permanent position

Benefits: Permanent contract, local government pension scheme, flexible working arrangements, season ticket discounts and loans, health and leisure discounts and more.

Why join us?

Our Generalist Graduate scheme is a fantastic opportunity to work for a thriving public sector organisation. During your two-years on the programme, you will benefit from a variety of experiences and challenges as you build a thorough understanding of our multi-disciplinary Hampshire County Council (HCC) Property Services organisation. You will have the chance to collaborate with colleagues across HCC Property Services, the wider County Council and other partner organisations.

We believe that the best way to help you achieve your potential is to give you real responsibility, so your role will see you supporting and leading on genuine projects. The areas you could be working in include energy and sustainability, business development, digital strategy, communications and marketing, client relationship management, finance and data analysis, project management and more.

The aim of the scheme is to give you a broad experience of what the organisation can offer, helping you find out what interests you most. We invest a lot of time and resources in developing talent, that’s why we offer the programme on a permanent contract and support you in finding a permanent position within Property Services.

How does the programme work?

This is a two-year Generalist Graduate programme, meaning you do not need any experience in Property. You will have the chance to experience four different areas of the business, completing a six month placement in each area.

By the end of two years after you have gained a broad insight into our business, you will be able to move on into a specific post within Property Services.

What support is offered?

As well as your line manager, you will have support from a mentor throughout your first two years with the organisation. You will also be assigned a ‘buddy’ from a previous cohort of the graduate programme, who will help you settle in and guide you through the programme.

What training and development is available?

The programme includes enrolment on our in-house Career Development Programme alongside construction discipline trainees and graduates. You will attend monthly sessions to develop a wide range of soft skills from presentation skills, project management to political awareness. You will be able to apply skills such as finance and business acumen, coaching and mentoring and effective team working across your placements and eventually in your permanent role.

What can I expect from the placements?

On pages 4-5 are some examples of the current placements on offer. We will match you with your first placement according to your skill set and all subsequent placements will seek to develop both your strengths and weaknesses. The placements you are allocated will be based on a combination of your interests and the business needs at the time.

How to apply?

For more information about HCC Property Services please see our website:http://www3.hants.gov.uk/propertyservices/property-recruitment.htm

For an informal discussion about this graduate programme please contact previous generalist graduate Kirstie-Marie Carter on 01962 826621

For role profiles detailing the journeys of current and past generalist graduates, please see:http://www3.hants.gov.uk/propertyservices/property-recruitment/propertyteam.htm

Good luck with your application!

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for bright graduates, with excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. You will be highly driven and have a genuine interest in local government and the public sector.

You can apply if you have graduated or are currently an undergraduate in your final year with or predicted to get a minimum 2:1 degree in any discipline.

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Application Timeline:

• The application process will be open from the end of November to mid February.• Successful graduates are able to have a flexible start date between April and September.

Key information:

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Business Management Team, including PR, communications, recruitment, customer services, finance, resource planning and digital strategy.

The Strategic Consultancy Team: here you could help support the delivery of strategies or large construction programmes for other local authorities and external clients.

The Business and Operations Team is the central commercial hub for Property Services. It is made up of a variety of strands, any of which you could be involved in:

Business and Operations

Sustainable Energy and Engineering

Leading the behaviour change initiative for the council, to encourage staff to be energy-efficient

Producing bids to access funding to help make energy-efficient upgrades across the estate

Analysing and reporting on energy data to inform senior managers of how we are progressing against targets

Helping schools in Hampshire implement their energy strategy

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How can the council reduce its carbon footprint? In this team, you could be:

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Supporting client- relationship management, focusing on strategic advice, transformation, research and development.

Assisting the team to set up, shape and deliver programmes of work often across multiple departments or public bodies, acting in both an advisory capacity and as partners, so the work is exciting and varied.

Producing bids for central government funding with the opportunity for some creative design work.

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Asset Transformation This team helps make sure the Council and our partners are getting the best out of their properties or physical assets. They take on the role of ‘critical friend’ to bring fresh ideas and innovative solutions. Your role could include:

Improvement and Efficiency South East: Procurement and Construction Frameworks

Manage the frameworks, ensuring that the quality and objectives of the frameworks are met.

Assist other authorities in using the framework to get the maximum benefits.

Ensure the framework promotes efficiency and is fair and equal to access for contractors.

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Property Management

The true cost of our activities and where the value is in our current processes. Reviewing our procedures to meet the challenges of working for multiple public sector bodies.

Assist in the development of the Customer Service Support business unit.

Research, coordinate and challenge views on business approaches.

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Property Services delivers a wide range of construction projects, from building or extending schools, installing solar panels, to general maintenance in our offices, libraries and care homes. Procurement frameworks offer a ‘pool’ of contractors that we will approach when these projects arise. Here you will support the team to:

The Property Management is a 100-strong team of building professionals. The core strength of this team is in delivering building repair and maintenance projects and day to day reactive functions. In this team you will help them identify;

Examples of work placements

Elspeth Baillie completed the programme this year after joining us in September 2014 and is now in a permanent role as an Energy Officer.

She studied Business Studies at the University of Portsmouth, which also included a placement year in an accountancy team at a pharmaceutical

company in Basingstoke.

I helped to create and disseminate a ‘Programme Resource Planning Tool’. This aimedto make the allocation of people within programmes more efficient.

Another project I worked on was the collection of financial data and then I analysed andinterpreted it. In particular I analysed costs against income streams to influencemanagement reports.

In this placement I further improved my statistical and financial analysis skills but applied them to a different purpose, through investigating the impact of installing renewable energy sources e.g. solar panels.

Furthermore, I worked on my research skills through investigating the feasibility of various energy reduction technologies. I then created business plans for their implementation and enjoyed the opportunity to drive projects through both the tender and contract stages.

I also improved my communication skills through managing the feasibility and development of energy performance improvement programmes, across corporate estate buildings and then schools.

In this placement I received the opportunity to investigate and create a Learning and Development Strategy for Property Services. I was able to present this to the Senior managers.

I increased my knowledge of Property Asset Management through work on the feasibility of instigating a new Property Asset Management approach.

My work with the new business unit was also really exciting as I had to think of innovative ways to improve the profitability of the training element of a business unit, and begin the implementation of these changes.

In my final placement I was able to apply skills learnt from my previous placement to help a newly established team manage their finance budgets to help improve their forecasting and management of team time and finances.

PLACEMENT 1

Business and Opera

tions

PLACEMENT 2

Sustainable Energy and Eng

ineer

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Property Management & Strateg

ic M

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PLACEMENT 3

Asset Transformation

PLACEMENT 4

Split Placement

I was recruited into the role of ‘Energy Officer’ upon leaving the graduate scheme.Permanent Role

Meet one of our graduates: Elspeth Baillie

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Year 3 onward

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