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Graduates FAQs
Questions
Programme details
Q2. When do the positions start?
Q3. At what point will I find out where my first placement will be?
Q4. Do I get to express a preference for where my placements will be?
Q5. How ‘flexible’ do I have to be in the programme?
Q6. What jobs will be available at the end of the programme?
Requirements
Q7. Am I too old to apply for the programme?
Q8. Can I apply if I do not have an EU work permit?
Q9. Have I got enough UCAS points for the programme?
Q10. Do I need to have completed a degree in a subject related to the ‘built environment’ to apply?
Q11. I have a Masters degree but no Bachelors degree. Can I still apply?
Q12. What is an ‘appropriate’ postgraduate qualification?
Q14. If I have less than six months paid experience at the time of applying
Application process
Q16. Has my application been received?
Q17. When and where will the pre-assessment centre face to face interviews be held?
Q18. When and where will the assessment centres be held?
Q19. Will I receive expense reimbursement for attending interviews or assessment centres?
Q20. Will I receive feedback if I am unsuccessful at telephone/face to face/assessment centre?
Q22. Can I submit an application after the deadline has passed?
Answers
Programme details
Initially, we offer a salary around £22,700, with six-monthly bonuses dependent on performance. After the two years your projected salary will be in the high £20,000’s, and will also include a final salary pension scheme.
Q2. When do the positions start?
September 2008.
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Q3. At what point will I find out where my first placement will be?
First placements are confirmed in the contract of employment that successful candidates will receive early in summer 2008.
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Q4. Do I get to express a preference for where my placements will be?
You will be able to express a preference for where your home department placement will be but it will not be guaranteed. Trainees must be spread out across our offices and we can only have one or two in each.
The rest of the placements on your programme will be pre-arranged and you will not be asked to express a preference.
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Q5. How ‘flexible’ do I have to be in the programme?
You will have to be completely flexible to move house to live and work in various locations over the two-year period in the UK. Placements can be nine, six, or three months in duration and may involve shorter periods elsewhere within them.
Potential locations include: Milton Keynes, Warrington, Telford, Bristol, Newcastle, Bracknell and London.
Even where moving house is not required, long daily commutes may be. For example, trainees may have a placement in Milton Keynes followed by Bracknell which would require them to live between the two locations and commute to each placement rather than move house from Milton Keynes to Bracknell but have a shorter daily commute.
It will not be possible to complete the two-year programme by commuting from one permanent address.
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Q6. What jobs will be available at the end of the programme?
Graduate trainees will be able to apply for any vacancies that are available at the end of the programme. What those jobs are and where they are is not guaranteed and trainees may have to be flexible about where a permanent post is based.
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Requirements
Q7. Am I too old to apply for the programme?
There is no age limit for applicants.
Q8. Can I apply if I do not have an EU work permit?
No, unfortunately not. Due to graduate level positions not being classified as a ‘shortage occupation’ by the Home Office and the level of interest in this programme, it is not possible for English Partnerships to apply for work permits for individuals.
Q9. Have I got enough UCAS points for the programme?
There is no requirement to demonstrate UCAS points.
Q10. Do I need to have completed a degree in a subject related to the ‘built environment’ to apply?
No, you do not. As long as you meet the minimum requirements then people with any degree subject can apply. The important point is your knowledge of the regeneration sector and enthusiasm and interest in regeneration as a career.
Q11. I have a Masters degree but no Bachelors degree. Can I still apply?
No, you must have a Bachelors degree. To complete the programme, graduates will need to amass a large body of learning from a range of professional areas and utilise strong intellectual capabilities. A Bachelors degree demonstrates that candidates have been capable of a similar prolonged programme of learning in the past.
Q12. What is an ‘appropriate’ postgraduate qualification?
These will be considered on a case by case basis. However, factors such as the awarding university, subject studied, and how it relates to your first degree are likely to be taken into account.
No, this does not count as ‘paid, post-graduate employment’ and you can therefore still apply.
You will be judged at the time that the application was made. Any work experience to be accrued between then and the start of the programme will not preclude you from the application process.
No, not for the Graduate Development Programme. It does not matter how long ago you graduated but one of the aims of the programme is to increase the number of skilled people working in the regeneration sector.
Therefore, we cannot accept applications from people already working in the sector i.e. those with more than six months paid experience, as it does not help us to meet this aim. There are other routes into English Partnerships for experienced regeneration professionals.
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Application process
Q16. Has my application been received?
You should have received a ‘thank you’ note immediately after you submitted your application form. If you did not receive this, then you may need to complete the form again and resubmit.
Once you have submitted your form, you will be contacted by Moloney Search, the recruitment company who is conducting our shortlisting for us.
If you are unsure as to whether your application form has been submitted successfully, please call Sarah Dryhurst on 0207 471 3400.
Q17. When and where will the pre-assessment centre face to face interviews be held?
The interviews will be between December 2007 and February 2008. The interviews will be held at various university campuses around the country or in Moloney Search’s offices in London.
Q18. When and where will the assessment centres be held?
The assessment centres will be held at English Partnerships’ office in Warrington in February/March 2008.
Q19. Will I receive expense reimbursement for attending interviews or assessment centres?
Yes, you will receive expense reimbursement. It is essential that you keep copies of all receipts to ensure repayment.
Please consult Sarah Dryhurst from Moloney Search on 0207 471 3400 about what is/is not appropriate expenditure in relation to travel/accommodation costs.
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Q20. Will I receive feedback if I am unsuccessful at telephone/face to face/assessment centre?
Unfortunately due to the high level of interest in this programme, we are not able to provide feedback to candidates that are unsuccessful at the telephone interview stage. However, ALL candidates will receive feedback if they reach the face to face interview or assessment centre stage.
We are keen to assist any applicants with disabilities. Please contact Sarah Dryhurst from Moloney Search on 0207 471 3400 and we will do whatever we can to assist you.
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Q22) Can I submit an application after the deadline has passed?
Unfortunately we are not able to accept applications after the deadline of 30th November 2007. The web application will be removed at midnight on this date.
© English Partnerships 2003-2008