Derbyshire County Council

Transformation Service

Incorporating Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Student Placement & Graduate Scheme

Business & Technical

Public

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

Contents Page

Derbyshire County Council 2

Why Derbyshire County Council? 3

Student Placement Scheme 4

Graduate Schemes 6

- Business Graduate Scheme 7

- Technical Graduate Scheme 9

Graduate Salary & Benefits 12

Graduate Application Process 13

Mentoring 14

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSFORMATION SERVICE

“As an organisation we need to attract talented individuals that we can support and develop to ensure our future success.

To achieve this we introduced the graduate and student placement schemes in 2009 and they’ve proven to be very effective. Both schemes are a fantastic opportunity for those interested in

developing a career in Business & ICT.

All student and graduate trainees can expect a structured role with scope to experience a broad range of work. Each individual is allocated a mentor and on-going reviews are undertaken to

ensure skills, knowledge and practical experience are being developed.

In this brochure you’ll find case studies relating to a number of past recruits who have gone on to forge very successful careers with the Council. If you’re still not sure, you can speak to one of our

recruiting advisors who will provide you with any further information you need; details can be found towards the end of this brochure

I hope you find the information in this brochure useful and it persuades you to apply for one of our schemes. I look forward to receiving an application from you.”

David Hickman

Director of Transformation

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:

Chief Executives

Corporate Resources

Adult Care

Children's Services

Health and Communities

Economy, Transport and Environment

ABOUT DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

A Derbyshire that Works

A Strong Economy

Well-Connected Communities

A Skilled and Confident Workforce

A Healthy Derbyshire

Healthier Communities with Reduced Health Inequalities

A Safer Derbyshire

Resilient and Safe Communities

People Supported in Hard Times

Sustainable and Green Communities

A Derbyshire that Cares

Thriving Children, Young People and Families

Independent and Supported Older People

Adults with Physical and Learning Disabilities Leading Independent and Fulfilled Lives

A Local Derbyshire

An Ambitious and Dynamic Council

Communities at the Heart of Decision Making

OUR FIVE PLEDGES

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 the Transformation Service to support major corporate and service specific programmes 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 cover all three areas of the Transformation Service:

Commissioning, Contracts, Programmes & Projects

Customer Services

Infrastructure

TRANSFORMATION SERVICE

3

STUDENT PLACEMENT

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 business and 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 the three areas of the Transformation Service; Commissioning, Contracts, Programmes & Projects, Customer Services and Infrastructure.

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

Benefits

Salary - £17,123

37 Hours per Week

Flexi Time

Mentoring Scheme

25 days Annual Leave + 8 Bank Holidays

Personal Development Opportunities

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

details and to apply

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

public sector ICT and transformational change agenda.

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)

4

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 student on placement from university I was involved in key elements of the project 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 Transformation 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 required to become a sought after candidate in today’s job market when I graduated. After working for Derbyshire County Council and then completing my degree I had no problem applying for and being offered opportunities 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

“I chose the student placement scheme at Derbyshire County Council, as it is a large reputable organisation, offering a huge level of variation in the breadth of services it provides. I felt this would provide the best experience and ultimately would look impressive on my CV. The scheme provides different job profiles and the option to work in different areas of the Transformation Service. I was placed in the Commissioning & Contracts team, which is providing me with a range of opportunities to showcase my skills and knowledge that I’ve learned from studying for my degree in Business Management.

The most enjoyable part of the student placement scheme is being made to feel like you are a member of the “team”. You are not here to make tea and do the photocopying! You are a valued member of staff with a real role to play within the Council. I have been given the responsibility to manage around 200 routine ICT contracts; this involves building supplier relationships, negotiating contract renewals and attending cross-departmental meetings. It is providing me with real workplace experience.

The scheme provides an opportunity to work within various departments within the Council, network with others, learn valuable new skills and attend the different training courses and events; all of which help to widen and develop my skill set.

I’m thoroughly enjoying my time at Derbyshire County Council, and look forward to see what the rest of the student placement has to offer.”

5

2015 Student Studying for a BA Business

Management Degree

JULIE COLE

GRADUATE SCHEMES

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 £21,321 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, Business or Information System discipline.

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

GRADUATE SCHEME - BUSINESS & TECHNICAL

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 Transformation Service.”

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

6

GRADUATE SCHEME - BUSINESS

Graduate

Business Graduates will be given the opportunity to work in the Commissioning & Contracts or Programme & Projects areas. There are a wide variety of functions covered between these teams:

The procurement, management and supplier liaison for over 370 ICT contracts.

The management of complex ICT projects, forming part of an over-arching ICT work

programme in order to meet the needs of departments and customers throughout Derbyshire.

A programme of service/business process re-engineering projects to ensure that the council

are streamlining processes and running as efficiently as possible through the use of ICT,

We are looking for graduates who have an understanding or interest in:

How ICT can transform business

Project management methodologies and the importance of project planning and delivery

The procurement of ICT Systems

Contract management & supplier liaison

Researching and analysing information, presenting results and developing reports.

GRADUATE SCHEME - BUSINESS

Your journey will begin in Commissioning,

Contracts, Programmes & Projects where you will gain

an understanding of the Council’s business including

project planning, business analysis, commissioning of

software and hardware, as well as contract

management.

We will provide you with the mentoring, experience and

support, all we need from you is your commitment and

enthusiasm!

As you progress you will be given the opportunity to

lead on the end-to-end delivery of projects involving

planning, organising resources, and managing any

risks, issues or challenges that may impact on the

success of the project.

Sara Hydon

Senior Programme Manager

7

BUSINESS GRADUATE - CASE STUDIES

“Unlike most other graduates, I didn't apply for the scheme straight out of university. When I graduated I worked for a private sector company that did not offer the long term career opportunities I had hoped for. When I came across the DCC graduate scheme, it immediately appeared to offer what I was searching for in terms of both a natural progression from my degree and the chance to work for a large and diverse organisation. Even though this meant I was leaving the security of a full time permanent position for a 2-year fixed term scheme with no guaranteed employment at the end, I felt that in the long term the opportunities, experiences and learning I would gain would far outweigh any short term uncertainties.

I have particularity enjoyed meeting people from different areas of the Council. I have worked with Elected Members and officers at different levels across all departments. This in turn gave me a much better understanding of how local government works and the range of activities undertaken. The people are always welcoming, interested in me, and take time to brief me on the workings of the department/section and their individual roles.

The Graduate scheme has assisted me to think about my own learning, skills and experiences to date and how I might make best use of these along with the new experiences gained through the scheme to make a contribution to the workings of the Council. Such was the value of my experiences that I went on to secure my current position as a Commissioning and Contracts Officer, after 6 months into the scheme, this has allowed me to return to university to study for my Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) qualification.”

“Having been on the Student Placement Scheme at Derbyshire County Council for 14 months, and having learnt so much, the choice to apply for the Graduate Scheme was a simple one. I wanted to come back and work in a great environment, continue to develop my skills through interacting with knowledgeable colleagues, and take the opportunity to grow throughout my career. I have worked within two teams in Transformation Service; Commissioning & Contracts on Student placement and I am currently working in Programmes & Projects on the Graduate Scheme. The people in both of these teams have been great to be around, which makes coming to work so much more enjoyable.

In my current role as a Project Officer, every day is different. I work on a variety of different ICT projects which enables me to meet new people from different departments on a daily basis. This has given me a much rounder knowledge and experience of working in a professional environment. Since being a graduate, I have been encouraged to undertake the many different training opportunities for both professional and personal development to enhance my current skill set.

Having studied a technical course, working in Transformation gave me the opportunity to put my technical skills to use, whilst also enhancing my business knowledge. Another enjoyable part of working at the Council is the flexible working the chance for the occasional long lunch with colleagues or early finish is definitely a bonus!”

Graduate

8

Commissioning & Contract Officer

2014 Graduate BA Communication & Business Joint Hons

GEMMA WALKER

2015 Graduate BSC Computer Studies

JAKE LONGDEN

GRADUATE SCHEME - TECHNICAL

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.

GRADUATE SCHEME - TECHNICAL

“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

9

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 GRADUATE - 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 the Transformation Service i.e. Business Applications, Corporate Applications, 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 the Transformation Service, this appealed 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

“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)

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

Transformation Service support over 270

Council ICT Systems

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.

Windows 7 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

Graduate

SALARY & BENEFITS

37 Hours per Week

Salary - £21,321

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

12

SUPPORT FROM OTHER GRADUATES

13

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 or Gina 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

Student & Graduate Recruitment

County Hall,

Matlock,

Derbyshire,

DE4 3AG

01629 538009

gina.knowles@derbyshire.gov.uk

GINA KNOWLES

“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

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20th October 2015