Trainee

Development

Programme

2016

2

Contents

About us 3

- Our values

Trainee Development Programme 4

- Overview

- How the programme is structured

- Mentoring

- Who is eligible

Case Study: Michael Sherman, Trainee Property Manager 7

The Recruitment process 8

Benefits of working for us 9

- Social activities

How to apply 10

Frequently asked questions 11

3

About us

The Coal Authority is based in Nottinghamshire and our statutory duty is to deal with Britain’s mining

legacy. We work to resolve the impacts of mining by developing innovative solutions and technologies

to ensure public safety and protect the environment from coal and metal mining.

We are principally funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and our non-coal

water programme in England is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

(Defra).

Discover more about what we do.

Our values

4

Trainee Development Programme

Each year we recruit trainees to support our departments and teams. This year we are offering an

exciting opportunity to join our property team which will give the successful candidate the chance to

build a diverse range of property and development skills. We are looking for applications from

candidates who can work with us to deliver innovative solutions to complex issues.

The property team works on projects across Britain, from Scotland to Cornwall, including negotiating

the development of new build housing through to water treatment schemes. Our aim is for you to

gain experience, knowledge and skills whilst working towards chartered membership or similar status

such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Our current priority is sourcing and securing operational land for our mine water treatment schemes.

You will work alongside project managers, planners and property managers to identify suitable

development sites for complex solutions. You will gain experience not only in appraising and

purchasing land, but working in a project team to deliver new development.

Overview of role You will be involved in the disposal of our surplus assets and the negotiation of a wide range of

property interests such as clawback and the variation of restrictive covenants. To achieve this you

will work with other team members to assess the impacts of development and instruct appraisals,

valuations and external support. There will also be opportunity to develop your core skills such as

presentation and project management.

You will be expected to work closely with our legal team (with potential for significant legal

experience to be gained) and carry out searches of current and historic property records for the

purposes of advising the Authority on its responsibilities, rights and title interests. This will also link

to managing our property asset base and developing a working knowledge of our terrier system

and day to day asset management.

You will also gain working knowledge and experience of the tasks and projects undertaken in both

the Environment and Public Safety and Subsidence (PS&S) teams. Environment is responsible for

delivering new water treatment schemes, monitoring and operational maintenance whilst PS&S

manage subsidence claims and the management of legacy mining property. Short placements

and site visits are included in your training programme.

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How the programme is structured?

Year 1 - You will spend the majority of your time within the Property team, participating in knowledge

transfer activities about the organisation and the property work that we undertake. You will spend time

on planning your career development in conjunction with your line manager, which may include

starting your professional chartership.

Year 2 - Your second year may include placements within the organisation to accelerate your learning

and help you identify how your role supports the wider business. You may also have the opportunity to

undertake external secondments depending on your progression pathway through your chartership.

Year 3 - You will return to your home department with a holistic perspective of how the business

operates and an understanding of the collaborative approach across our functions. Training and

development will continue throughout year 3 to enable you to apply for any suitable substantive

vacancies at the end of the programme.

Mentoring

Throughout your time on the programme you will be assigned a work mentor, this will be someone

working in an operational role within the Authority who will help you acclimatise to your new

environment and assist with your development. Your mentor will provide objective advice, guidance

and support to help you achieve your learning milestones.

As you progress through the programme you will have the opportunity to become a mentor yourself to

new trainees coming onto the programme in later intakes.

Who is eligible to apply? Applicants must hold a minimum 2:2 degree in the disciplines below (or significant industry experience

in a relevant field) at application stage or the expectation of a 2:2 degree at September 2016. The

programme is also open to those with higher qualifications such as Masters or PHD.

Programme stream Degree Discipline

Property Estates management

Property and Estates Management

Rural Resource Management

Mineral Surveying

Law in a related property discipline or similar

In addition applicants should possess the following skills and behaviours:

Excellent interpersonal & communication skills

A strong teamwork ethic

A commitment to on-going learning & development

Strong problem solving abilities

Willingness to develop & make use of commercial acumen

Willingness to contribute to the Authority’s corporate strategy

A positive attitude to collaborative working

Flexibility to work on placement if required

6

Case Study: Michael Sherman, Trainee

Property Manager

Michael joined our trainee development programme in October 2014 and is part of our

Property team.

efore starting at the Coal Authority, instead of having a good

understanding of actual mining (as you would be forgiven for

thinking), I barely had a basic understanding of the mining industry as

a whole and its immense scale and history; I was surprised.

From this colossal industry the Coal Authority has inherited an

incredibly diverse and unique range of property interests that makes

the vast majority of the work we do thought-provoking, challenging

and oddly enjoyable.

As you may interpret, I did not apply for the role because of a history

in mining or a passion for the industry. I applied for the role because I

thought it looked stimulating, worthwhile and having worked for a year

as a topographical surveyor after university decided it was time to start

my Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).

Doing the APC was of particular importance to me and the Coal Authority has been incredibly

supportive thus far. I am following the Planning and Development pathway and am now one year in

and feeling confident about my progress to date.

During this year I have negotiated the release of restrictive covenants to facilitate development

(undertaking standard residual and DCF residual valuations to help assess the difference in value

before entering into negotiations), prepared sites for and attended auctions, prepared appraisals

and reports on several sites to the requirement of other teams, negotiated and completed lease

renewals/rent reviews and completed a 3 month secondment to the Valuation Office Agency to

broaden my property valuation knowledge and experience. I have worked closely with our internal

legal and planning teams giving me a much greater insight into these areas of work than I was

initially expecting.

Overall I have really enjoyed my first year at the Coal Authority. Both the work itself and the social

aspect of the job have been fantastic. The place has a real ‘family’ feel and I never feel scared to

ask the ‘stupid’ question which was a great reassurance to me, especially in the first few weeks.

Maybe see you soon!

Michael

B

”

“

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The Recruitment Process

Our selection process has 3 stages and at each stage you will be measured against the following

competencies:

Seeing the bigger picture

Changing and improving

Making effective decisions

Leading and communicating

Collaborating and partnering

Building capability for all

Achieving commercial outcomes

Delivering value for money

Managing a quality service

Delivering at pace

Application -Stage 1

Complete and return an application form (available from our website). Unfortunately due to the high

number of applications, feedback cannot be provided to unsuccessful applicants at this stage.

Initial testing - Stage 2

If you are selected, we will ask you to complete some online ability tests, these are administered by

our chosen training provider. Practice tests will be available prior to this stage of testing.

Assessment centre - Stage 3

If selected from stage 2 we will invite you to an assessment centre. This will involve a structured

interview and one or more exercises, all necessary details for which will be provided in your

assessment centre invitation. We aim to hold the assessment centre stage in April 2016.

Following stage 3 any successful candidates will be made a formal offer of employment. Full

feedback will be given to unsuccessful candidates at stage 3.

If successful, depending on your availability, you will start with us in September or October 2016.

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Candidates requiring assistance

If you have a disability or a condition which may mean you need support with the application form

or online tests please email recruitment@coal.gov.uk . The team will be able to discuss your needs

and explain what help they can offer. If you feel you require extra time for the online tests, you will

have to provide written evidence that this is necessary.

Training and development

We offer excellent opportunities for continued training and development. In addition to on the job

learning, which will take place in the Regulation Department (this department comprises of Property

Legal, Licencing & Permissions and Planning and Local Authority Liaison), you will also receive formal

skills training which will help develop you in the following areas:

Career development and planning

Resilience and wellbeing

Communication and presentation skills

Creativity and innovation

Building effective relationships/networking

Effective decision making

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Contract management

Project management

We pride ourselves on our professional expert knowledge. Maintaining and developing this

knowledge is at the very heart of our organisational values. As such you will be expected to

undertake Continual Professional Development (CPD) activities.

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Benefits of working for us

We offer an attractive starting salary of £24,000, plus a range of benefits including:

Civil service pension options

Excellent CPD and training programme

Payment of professional membership fees

27.5 days annual leave per annum plus bank holidays*

Flexible working arrangements

Contribution towards gym membership

Childcare voucher scheme

Annual medical

Employee assistance programme

Cycle to work initiative

Performance related payments

CSSC sports & leisure discount scheme

*6 additional holiday days per annum can be accrued through flexitime

Social activities Our staff organise an annual programme of activities for charity, these include fundraising initiatives

for various organisations such as; Red Nose day , Children in Need, Sport Relief, Poppy Appeal,

Breast cancer awareness and Prostate cancer awareness (Movember).

We also have a wellbeing initiative which supports our drive to encourage ‘Happiness at Work’ for

our staff to maintain a good work/life balance and look after their wellbeing. Staff are encouraged to

join groups and participate in lunch time or after work fitness activities.

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To apply

Please follow the link below to the advert on our website; there are a number of documents to read

before submitting your application.

When you are ready you can download an application form from the site and complete. Completed

forms should be emailed to us with a covering letter explaining what attracts you to the Coal

Authority and this particular vacancy, our application email address is recruitment@coal.gov.uk

Full details and all relevant documents can be found at the link.

Apply for the Coal Authority Trainee Development Programme

You can find more information about the Authority and its work in our corporate plan, our 5 year

strategy and our Annual Reports.

For further information regarding the programme please contact Craig Brown on 01623 637319 in

our HR department.

The closing date is: Friday 11th March 2016

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Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be a recent graduate to apply for the programme?

No, the programme is open to recent graduates as well as those who have completed post

graduate study and those who may have graduated some time ago. Proven experience in a

relevant field can also replace the requirement for a degree.

My undergraduate degree discipline does not match those specified but my postgraduate

education does, can I still apply?

Yes, candidates who have undertaken conversion into one of the listed degree disciplines via post

graduate study can apply.

I have applied to the Coal Authority before and have been unsuccessful, can I still apply?

Yes, you can still apply for the programme if you have been unsuccessful for another role as long as

you meet the specified criteria. If you have previously been unsuccessful for the trainee programme

you can still apply.

Do you accept applications from international students?

We can accept applications from international students who are eligible to live and work in the UK

on a full time, permanent basis for the length of the 3 year programme; unfortunately we do not

provide sponsorship for our trainee vacancies.

Will I be reimbursed for travel expenses if invited to the assessment centre?

Yes, the Authority provides travel expenses for travel to our assessment centres.

I am unable to attend the assessment centre dates; will there be another opportunity to attend?

Where possible we will try to accommodate all candidates who have been invited to the assessment

centre, alternative dates are dependent on the amount of applicants requiring an alternative date.

Do you offer re-location support?

No, we do not provide financial re-location support for our trainee roles.

How long will it take to process my application?

The trainee programme receives a high number of applications and we ensure that each application

is considered thoroughly; we will process applications in the quickest possible timeframe.

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Do I need a driving license to work for the Coal Authority?

Yes, a full and clean driving license is required as travel to sites will be required; we do however

operate a fleet of pool cars which can be used by our staff.

How much travel is involved?

Travel will be required for all placements but the extent of travel is dependent on the placement

and program stream. Some placements may be based elsewhere in the coal field, potentially as far

as Scotland or Wales and there may be an expectation for candidates to secure lodgings for the

duration of the placement in this circumstance. Where this is a requirement support towards

lodgings will be provided.

Will I be supported through my professional development?

Yes, the Coal Authority offers financial support for professional development in terms of additional

academic study, chartership processes and payment of professional fees. We can also provide

mentoring and guidance support from our other chartered professional staff.

What happens at the end of the programme?

The programme is a fixed term contract for 3 years, at the end of the programme the contract will

expire and you can apply for a substantive post within the department if there is a position

available. Depending on the pace of your development you can also apply for positions before the

end of the programme.