The University is committed to attracting the best and the brightest students, academics and staff. Our Graduate Training Scheme in Professional Services (GTS) is a one-year programme that provides Birmingham graduates with an entry point into an extremely exciting and diverse career in Higher Education Management. The aim of the GTS is to recruit the University’s next generation of leaders and managers and equip our students to be able to stand-out from the crowd when applying for jobs in the future.
The one-year programme will include a planned rotation of placements in different areas of the University, complemented by training and development and mentoring throughout from a senior member of staff. Trainees will gain experience in key areas of University operations and build an understanding of the institution, its strategy, its environment, and its stakeholders. Trainees will be supported to develop the skills and behaviours of the Birmingham Professional, the University’s statement and programme of what it means to be a member of Birmingham Professional Services. While we can’t guarantee a job at the end of the one-year programme, the skills and experience Graduate Trainees will gain should position them well for jobs at the University of Birmingham or externally.
Trainee places will be highly competitive, and we will only consider the most intelligent and ambitious of our recent graduates. Graduates should have a passion for higher education and approach their work with enthusiasm, ownership, and high levels of energy. Creative problem-solving will be one of the key aspects of the role along with an enjoyment for making things happen. They must have outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and a dedication to excellence in all that they do.
The GTS is being run in partnership with the Graduate Trainee Programme at the University of Nottingham, and trainees will have an opportunity to share experiences with their peers at Nottingham as part of their development opportunities.
For further information please contact: gts@contacts.bham.ac.uk
What will the role include?
Trainees will undertake three placements in Professional Services, each four months in duration. Placement portfolios will be structured to give trainees a variety of roles and perspectives, both within the central, functional services such as student services, marketing, estates, finance, admissions, human resources; and the academic structures of the University.
Duties and responsibilities during each placement will vary, but they will give trainees a clear project and deliverable in order to showcase what they have achieved. Trainees will receive regular support and supervision, and mentoring from a member of senior management. All of our trainees are, however, expected to be proactive and take ownership of the projects and tasks assigned them to ensure their successful completion.
The University anticipates appointing four trainees for 2012-13 who will be sponsored to achieve ILM 3 (Institute of Leadership and Management, First Line Management).
Who can apply?
Graduate Trainees will be ambitious and intelligent recent (2009-2012) graduates of the University who are eager to embark on a career in Higher Education Administration. Candidates must offer at least a 2.1 in a first degree in any subject at the University or a 2.1 in a first degree from a different institution and a postgraduate qualification from Birmingham.
Full details of the person specification can be found on the Graduate Trainee job description.