Derbyshire County Council

ICT Services

Student Placement & Graduate Scheme

Public

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

Contents Page

Derbyshire County Council 2

Why Derbyshire County Council? 3

Student Placement Scheme 4

Graduate Scheme 6

Graduate Salary & Benefits 12

Graduate Application Process 13

Mentoring 14

1

The Council employs around 16,000 members of staff and is represented by 64 elected members who are elected every 4 years. Elected members are democratically accountable to residents who live in their electoral division.

The county of Derbyshire has a population of around 780,000, to which the council provides a vast array of services.

The Council departments are:

Adult Care

Children’s Services

Commissioning, Communities and Policy

Economy, Transport and Environment

ABOUT DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Our ambition - What we hope to achieve over the next four years We will strive to be: “ An efficient and high performing council delivering high quality, value for money services”

Our values - The core beliefs that will underpin the way we do things

We will: • Be open, honest and accountable ensuring the decisions that we make are transparent • Spend money wisely making the best use of the resources that we have • Work with partners and local communities because we know we cannot tackle complex problems on our own • Listen to local people ensuring that we are responsive and take account of the things that matter most

OUR AMBITION AND VALUES

2

©Crown copyright and database rights 2015. Ordnance Survey 100023251

Central Location, based in Matlock, Derbyshire

Links to Manchester, Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham

Large public sector organisation

Opportunities for Progression

Challenging

Opportunities across the service, undertaking a

range of activities We are looking for talented individuals that we can support and develop to ensure our sustainability and future success. To support this we offer both a student work placement and graduate recruitment scheme.

STUDENT & GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

WHY DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL?

“Derbyshire County Council is a large organisation with lots of opportunities to

develop and progress.” Holly Corso,

BSc Media Production & Technology (2015 Graduate)

In common with many large organisations, the County Council is becoming increasingly reliant on ICT to maintain the delivery of existing services and to support their continual improvement. If our systems fail or end-users don’t understand how to use them, serious disruption to services can occur and the authority will not maximise the benefits from the investments it has made.

In the coming years, the demands on ICT Services to support major corporate and service specific pro-grammes and projects is expected to increase significantly. The aim of the Service is to address these new demands and resolve a broad range of existing challenges, together with ensuring that business as usual operational services are maintained.

The intention is that the service will become a key driver in changing the way the Council works and expectations on the service are high.

The Student Placement and Graduate Scheme covers the following areas of ICT Services:

ICT Customer Services

Network Management

Server Management

Software Development

System Support

ICT SERVICES

3

STUDENT PLACEMENT SCHEME

Student

We are looking for dynamic, customer focused individuals with excellent verbal and written communication skills who are keen to learn and develop, and have an interest in the way ICT can be used to enhance and transform the organisation.

The scheme offers a one year fixed term contract and the successful candidates will be offered structured experience in the wide range of ICT related work undertaken by the service.

The student placement programme will enable the successful candidates to work across one of number of areas in the ICT Service; Business Applications, Corporate Applications, Network Team or Server Management Team

We are looking for students who are studying for a degree in an ICT, Information Systems, Networking or similar disciplines and are on target to achieve a minimum 2:1 degree.

Benefits

Salary - £17,523

37 Hours per Week

Flexi Time

Mentoring Scheme

25 days Annual Leave + 8 Bank Holidays

Personal Development Opportunities

Provide an opportunity for students to gain practical work experience and an insight into the

public sector ICT and transformational change agenda.

Application Process - via CV and supporting letter - contact your Careers Advisor for more

details and to apply

STUDENT PLACEMENT SCHEME

Good Communication Skills

Well Motivated Individual

A Willingness to Learn

Good Problem Solving Skills

Good Organisation Skills

Good Team Working Skills

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Interest in working in an IT environment

Attention to detail

Good Interpersonal Skills

An Aptitude for Researching, Analysing Information

A Willingness to provide Good Customer Service

The Ability to follow Policies and Procedures

“The student placement scheme enabled me to put university theory into practice in a live business environment. Working in a public sector environment enabled me to build in confidence and showcased the additional challenges faced compared to private sector taught at university. The placement scheme

enabled me to return to university with a greater knowledge and experience of business practice to apply in my final year; and undertake my dissertation on a Derbyshire County Council discipline.”

Emily Smith, Assistant Project Manager, BA Business (2011 Student & 2013 Graduate)

5

STUDENT PLACEMENT - CASE STUDIES

Student

“The Student Placement Scheme at Derbyshire County Council provided me

with the ideal opportunity to apply the skills that I had learned at

university and gain valuable industry experience. The advertised salary was

also very competitive in relation to other student placement schemes that

were around at the time.

I joined the Network Team at the start of a large and complicated project to

replace the Council’s core network infrastructure. Even though I was a stu-

dent on placement from university I was involved in key elements of the pro-

ject that included the planning, implementation and post

documentation stages.

There is also a good social element to working at Derbyshire County Council.

My immediate team and the ICT Service made me feel very welcome and

there wasn’t a shortage of work nights out!

The Student Placement scheme gave me the valuable experience I re-

quired to become a sought after candidate in today’s job market when I grad-

uated. After working for Derbyshire County Council and then com-

pleting my degree I had no problem applying for and being offered opportuni-

ties with other organisations. The scheme and experience reinforced my

knowledge relating to Network Infrastructure and how it can be deployed in

large organisations.”

Network Technician 2012 Student

BSc Network Management

CRAIG CARTLIDGE

When searching for a placement, I was looking for a scheme in which I

could develop my technical skills by applying my knowledge from universi-

ty into practical real-life situations. I chose Derbyshire County Council as it

is a reputable organisation with a large ICT department supporting a high

number of systems and end-users. I felt the opportunity would provide me

with the ideal placement experience.

My placement is within the Corporate Applications Team, who develop and

support council ICT systems. From the start I felt a true member of the

team, that my input was valuable and the tasks and responsibility I was

assigned were of benefit to the team and the council.

One of the most enjoyable things about my time here so far, is that each

day is different with a wide range of tasks and challenges. A working day

can involve monitoring system performance, providing 2nd line support to

users, creating a range of reports utilising SQL and working on implement-

ing bespoke solutions. As a result of this, I feel significantly more confident

in my SQL and problem-solving abilities.

During my time on placement, I have been allocated as a project support

member for a large upgrade project. I have been involved in key stages of

the project and have completed a range of tasks. These have varied from

communicating system changes to users, to the implementation of the live

and development systems.

All of this has given me a detailed insight into project work and as a result

of working closely with the project lead, I have been able to gain an under-

standing of how to successfully plan and manage a project.

2017 Student BSc Computer Security

with Forensics

DAMIAN GRONSKI

GRADUATE SCHEME

Graduate

The Graduate Scheme provides a two year fixed term contract and offers enthusiastic, dynamic graduates the opportunity to work with technical experts in a fast paced, ever changing public sector environment. The graduate is offered a structured programme of experience in the wide range of work undertaken by the Service, focusing on achieving the Council’s vision; to use ICT in new and creative ways to support the Council to deliver services which are high quality, value for money and customer focused.

The Graduate Scheme salary is £21,749 and is evaluated in line with the duties and job profile of the role. Subject to satisfactory performance you would be assisted in identifying suitable vacancies within the Council that you can apply for.

The graduates are allocated a line manager and mentor, to provide support, professional advice and

guidance throughout the graduate scheme, encouraging and challenging you along the way.

Minimum of 2:1 degree in an ICT, Information System or Networking discipline.

We welcome all graduates; newly qualified or not, as long as they meet the criteria.

TECHNICAL GRADUATE SCHEME

Innovative & Creative Individual

A Confident Outlook

Good Leadership Skills

Good Problem Solving

Ability to Use Initiative

An Enthusiastic Individual

Attention to Detail

A Positive Approach

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Effective Written & Verbal Communication Skills

An Aptitude for Researching, Analysing Information

Dynamic Individuals

A Customer Focused Approach

Good Team Working Skills

Motivated Individuals

Well Developed Organisation Skills

A Willingness to Learn

“The Graduate Scheme has provided me with a lot of enjoyment working with different people from different backgrounds and sharing knowledge, gaining experience and skills which have led to a variety of

promotions and progression.” Lucy Wardle, Transformation Challenge Award Co-ordinator, BSc Business & ICT

(2010 Student & 2012 Graduate)

“The Graduate Scheme offered me the opportunity to learn and develop after my degree; working with a variety of teams, learning different skills and business acumen whilst gaining a technical knowledge. The graduate scheme has benefitted me in a variety of ways, providing personal development and an

increased skill set which has enabled me to gain a permanent post as Corporate Applications Technician within the ICT Service.”

Kerry Osborne, Corporate Application Support , BA International Marketing and Business (2012 Graduate)

6

Graduate

ICT is delivered through the Transformation Service as a central ICT function. Technical students will be given the opportunity to work in the Infrastructure or Customer Services areas. As a division, Transformation Service supports and manages:

The maintenance of two data centres comprising of over 400 servers, many of whish are virtualised in

a Microsoft Hyper-V environment

The data and voice network covering over 300 establishments connected via a private Wide Area

Network

The support of over 270 corporate and business applications, including;

SAP Enterprise Resource Planning system:

Electronic Social Care Record system

Electronic Document Records Management

A desktop estate of 7,000 PCs and laptops

A user base of over 9,000

ICT Traded services for 400+ schools.

“Join the Council on the Technical Graduate Scheme as a member of the Network Management Team and

develop your CISCO skills whilst supporting and developing the Councils enterprise network which extends to over 300 sites from two data centres’.”

Judy Matkin,

Derbyshire County Council Network Manager

GRADUATE SCHEME

TECHNICAL GRADUATE SCHEME

We are looking for graduates who have an understanding or interest in one or more of the following areas:

Support & Configuration of ICT Systems or

Infrastructure

IT Infrastructure required in large organisations

Appreciation for application support and programming

Detail of network infrastructure and corporate server

environments

Change control, documentation and reporting

Data Centre and Server Management

Customer Services including Desktop Management,

Device Configuration Management and ICT Service Desk

Network Management

Database Administration and Management

Information Security

TECHNICAL GRADUATES - CASE STUDIES

“I chose the Derbyshire County Council graduate scheme because of the good salary, provision for flexible working, the breadth and depth of ICT teams within the County Council, along with the opportunity to work within these different IT teams, and finally, the locality – an opportunity to work for a company that helps to improve lives for local people.

For me, the most enjoyable part of the Derbyshire County Council graduate scheme is that within the Business Application Team, I enjoy the daily challenge of supporting and developing a wide range of Business Applications, which are used internally and externally by small to large user groups. No two days are the same!

The graduate scheme has provided me with many different opportunities. I have undertaken training courses on C# Programming Language and Microsoft SQL. I have been given the opportunity to work within the different IT teams within ICT Services i.e. Business Applications, Corporate Ap-plications, Server Team, Network Team, Service Desk and have the responsibility to engage in the development of new and existing web applications.”

“I picked the Graduate Scheme at Derbyshire County Council as it provided an opportunity to experience each area of ICT Services, this ap-pealed because at the time I wasn’t sure which area of the service would most appeal within a working environment.

I have most enjoyed the variation of the tasks and projects given, and the colleagues I worked with. I commenced the Graduate Scheme in Programmes and Projects, and was particularly impressed with the responsibility I was given, this included organising the ICT resources and support for a local elections event at the Council Head Quarters. This event included a live graphical output of the results, and involved significant exposure for the council as various media teams, including the BBC, who were present for the event. Once I’d completed my time in projects, I moved into Customer Services, this provided a more technical role and required more technical skills and knowledge; a benefit of being on the graduate scheme is the opportunity to attend a variety of training courses; I attended a Microsoft PowerShell training course which provided me with the skills to undertake bulk admin tasks on Microsoft Exchange, part of my new role in the Customer Services team.

This scheme provided a mentor who was independent to the work I was assigned, this coupled with the opportunities given, allowed me to discuss and progress my ICT career to achieve a permanent role in a more technical area of Transformation Service. I currently work as an ICT Technician on the ICT Service Desk, providing 1st & 2nd line support for the desktop estate.”

Graduate

10

Application Support 2014 Graduate

BSc Information Systems

FIONA BUCKINGHAM

ICT Technician 2012 Graduate

BSc Applied Computing

TOM WOOD

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

11

400 Windows Servers hosted on HP Hardware.

Data replication across two datacentres.

A variety of physical and virtual servers using

Microsoft Hyper V as the hypervisor.

Store 280TB of data at each site utilising NetApp FAS8040, FAS2240 and FAS2552.

Storage platforms configured as RAID 6 DP.

Mixed Wired & Wireless Network Infrastructure;

1Gbps Ethernet Backbone and 100Mbps switched Ethernet to the desktop.

Cisco networking equipment used across all Council corporate sites.

Virtual Switching System (VSS) deployed using

Cisco Catalyst 6500 series switches routed across two data centres.

Converged network infrastructure within the

data centres is based on dual 10Gbps connections to the VSS network cores.

Cisco Nexus 5696Q series switch pairs

connecting the 6500 to the data centre fabric operating at 40Gbps

Primary and secondary data centres connected

by two diversely routed 10Gbps circuits

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system run on a Mitel 3300 Platform with over 6000 handsets

SERVER & STORAGE MANGEMENT

COMMUNICATION NETWORK

ICT Services support over 270 Council ICT Sys-

tems

Support for these systems is split between two teams; Business Applications and Corporate Applications

Systems development is web-based and usually

undertaken using Visual Studio 2010 (.NET framework) in conjunction with SQL 2008/2012.

Legacy systems utilising Microsoft Access and

Visual Basic.

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT

Utilises Microsoft System Centre Configuration

Manager 2012 to manage the Council’s ICT Assets.

O365 and Windows Desktop and Laptop Estate.

ICT Service Desk providing 1st and 2nd line

support between 8.00 - 6.00pm.

Microsoft System Centre Service Manager 2012 is used to track system calls.

DESKTOP MANAGEMENT

The Council has acquired the ISO27001

accreditation.

INFORMATION SECURITY

Graduate

“The Derbyshire County Council Technical Graduate

Scheme provided a fantastic opportunity to work in a

large IT department and further develop my technical

knowledge gained from University.

The Graduate Scheme enabled me to spend time in

other technical areas such as the Desktop

Management Team to learn about their roles and the

different pressures they faced.

Additionally, this development of knowledge along

with everything I learnt on the Graduate Scheme has

enabled me to obtain a permanent post as a Server

Technician in the Server Management Team; working

on the installation and set-up of new,

interesting systems procured by the Council.”

Daniel Reeves, Server Team Technician

BSc Computer Systems (Networks)

(2014 Graduate)

Graduate

GRADUATE SALARY & BENEFITS

37 Hours per Week

Salary - £21,749

Benefits

Flexi Time

Pension Scheme

Mentor Scheme

25 days Annual Leave + 8 Bank Holidays

Personal Development Opportunities

Training Opportunities

Car Share Scheme

Eye Care Voucher Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

SALARY & BENEFITS

SUPPORT FROM OTHER GRADUATES

GRADUATE APPLICATION PROCESS

Apply Online - www.derbyshire.gov.uk/jobs

Sign up for Job Alerts

Process

Complete the Application Form using the Person Profile as a guide to what we are looking for.

Please Note - CV’s will not be accepted.

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend an interview.

Following interview, successful candidates will be notified of their positions, and unsuccessful

candidates will be offered feedback.

The discipline of your degree and the skills demonstrated at interview will determine which

section of Transformation Service you are placed in.

For more information or to discuss the opportunities further, contact Mark via the details below.

GRADUATE APPLICATION PROCESS

Student & Graduate Recruitment

County Hall,

Matlock,

Derbyshire,

DE4 3AG

01629 538455

mark.whelan@derbyshire.gov.uk

MARK WHELAN

“The Graduate Scheme provided a chance to work in a variety of areas within the Transformation Service to develop skills, gain confidence and the salary was one of the best!”

Amy Walker, Application Support Technician, BSc Information Communication Technology

(2011 Graduate)

Graduate

Graduate

14

MENTORING

Mentoring

Students and graduates will be assigned a mentor who may or may not work directly with

them. Mentors will:

Support the students and graduates throughout their contract within the Council

Help the students and graduates identify personal goals

Help students and graduates prepare to enter into their chosen career and to help them to

develop their employability skills within Derbyshire County Council

Support the students and graduates in their applications for jobs and further study/personal

development and preparation of their professional portfolio within Derbyshire County Council

Mentoring Activities

The nature of the scheme is to provide professional one to one mentoring to ensure that individuals

get the best out of their time with the Council and help them to prepare for their chosen career. Each

mentor will set aside time in order to undertake the mentoring which can take place face to face, via

email, via telephone, or preferably, a combination of all three. Meetings are informal and will cover:

Confidence building through guidance and support

Improving communication skills

Challenging various aspects of their job

Feedback on job applications and professional portfolios

Interview techniques

Supporting students and graduates with applications for jobs, and continuing their education

and personal development

MENTORING

MENTORING - CASE STUDY

“I have worked at Derbyshire County Council for many years in

a wide variety of business and technical roles, from managing

the ICT Service Desk to my current role of Senior Programme

Manager. The Student Placement and Graduate Scheme

provides an opportunity to gain real experience in an ever

changing public sector environment. I have been a mentor

since the Graduate and Placement Scheme began, sharing

knowledge and experiences with Students and Graduates

makes a big difference to their experience here at the Council. I

enjoy helping Students and Graduates in the workplace,

introducing them to social groups and encouraging them to

take opportunities and achieve their potential.”

Senior Programme Manager Student & Graduate Mentor

DAVE CRISP

Student

www.derbyshire.gov.uk/jobs

Follow Us on

Facebook - Derbyshire County Council

Twitter - @DerbyshireCC

Version 2.5

6th November 2017