I graduated from University in the summer of 2016, and was regularly greeted with the question, ‘what are your plans?’ My response — that I was joining a local Council — was received with a mix of blank faces and/or confusion.
I’d secured a place on the NGDP graduate scheme after a pretty gruelling eight month application process, but most of my peers and professors had no idea what Local Government is, let alone why it presents an exciting career choice for a young 20-something.
Why on earth would you leave science? This is the cutting edge! was the subtext to most of those conversations. Well, I persisted with my choice, and as I reach my 2 year work-iversary this week, I thought it would be apt to bring you my thoughts on why Local Government is a truly exciting place to work.
1. Local Government is all about community
First and foremost, Local Government exists to serve our residents, and much of what we do goes unnoticed. Here are some of the things I didn’t know my Council did before I started working for one:
Collect my bins, fix my roads, ensure the places I eat prepare food safely, inspect the buildings I live and work in to ensure they won’t fall down, maintain public places, own and maintain a number of cultural centres/historic buildings, maintain local schools, support local businesses, provide care in the community to those most in need…
I could go on.
If you want to be part of the team that make and protect the place where you live, and help to fix local issues, Local Government is the place to be.
2. The challenge doesn’t stop here
The financial struggles of local Councils have been well-documented in the media, and for good reason. The main funding stream that Councils have been reliant on (a grant from Central Government) is being withdrawn, and they’re having to find other means of sustaining their services. In addition, the population is growing, particularly the elderly, and this is putting increasing strain on service provision.
This is not an easy place to work — far from it — but for this reason there’s a demand for fresh ideas, new skills and creativity.
3. The future is exciting
With the world changing around us at pace, there’s a pressing requirement to do things differently, and Councils are stepping up to the challenge. We’re experimenting with new technology — open data, automation and social media are changing the way we operate — and with such rapid progress, who knows what the next 10 years will look like?
With so much change in the air, the next few years are full of possibility.
4. Join a like-minded community
Local Government is full of fascinating people who share a similar ethos, who are motivated by making the world better and playing their part. There’s also a camaraderie between different parts of the public sector which manifests in a number of growing communities such as OneTeamGov, Team #weeknotes and Local Gov Digital. There’s a sense of learning from each other and sharing experiences that is really exciting — while we only have 24 hours each, together we have many more to experiment and improve.
5. Career opportunities
With Local Government providing so many different types of services, and being represented all across the country, there are many opportunities to diversify your skills and develop on the job. I’ve personally benefited from taking on roles in four different departments, and with each rotation I learned something new.
Not sure where to start? Programmes offered by the LGA, Kent CC, Hertfordshire CC, Sandwell MBC and others provide a great springboard into the sector.
6. Increase representation
I’m an advocate for increasing diversity in Government and politics, although I can’t say I’ve ever had strong political views or aspirations. Working in Local Government is my way of giving back and contributing to society, that doesn’t involve election to public office.
There are broadly two types of people in Local Government — we call them members and officers — that is, the elected Councillors, and the employees of the Council. So there are two opportunities to get involved, dependent on your political standpoint and what fits into your lifestyle.
I used Helen Reynolds’s ‘idea brew 30 minute* blog post’ technique to get these thoughts out to you in super-quick time, and I really enjoyed it! #commscreative
*30 minutes is a little ambitious… Perhaps I just need more practice! If you have any topics you would particularly like to hear my musings on, please post them in the comments section. Any encouragement via 👏 or comment will be very gratefully received ☺️
