Graduate scheme

11/01/10

Dear Kirsty
RE: YOUR REQUEST REF NO. 4075 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for information received on the 8 January 2010.
Your request reference is as above.

We will respond to your request promptly and in any event within 20
working days of the date of receipt of your request. If you wish to
contact me to discuss the progress of your request, please use the contact
details given below and quote the reference number given above.

Yours sincerely

Clare Mackay
____________________

Group Managers Assistant
Legal and Insurance Services
Surrey County Council
Rm 127, County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston
KT1 2DN

Tel: 020 8541 9088
Fax: 020 8541 9115
Email: [Surrey County Council request email]

Kirsty FOI requests at Surrey
<[FOI #26611 email]> To County Council
<[Surrey County Council request email]>
08/01/10 12:47 cc
Freedom of Information
Subject request - Graduate
scheme

Dear Surrey County Council,

I am currently doing a comparative study of the different types of
graduate schemes which are available looking at the below themes. I
would therefore like to issue a freedom of information request.

o Recruitment: How are graduates recruited and how are they
assessed (I'm interested particularly in any documentation used).
For example how are potential
candidates scored against each other? Is it quantitative or a
qualitatative process?
- Generally are your graduates straight out from university or do
they have experience? (or a mix?)
o Placements: How are placements chosen for graduates (do they
move around lacements or do they work within on specific area?).
What level of internal management is involved in choosing these
roles, and what
process is gone through? If possible I would like to request
copies of documentation used.
o Available Support: What kinds of support processes are offered
to graduates? Is their a buddy system or some other form of
mentoring? Is there any specific documentation around this?
o Review System: What kind of review processes do graduates go
through and what are the procedures for this? How often does it
happen and is their opportunity for promotion etc?
o Training: What kinds of opportunities are graduates offered in
terms of training and education?. Is training offered internally or
externally? What forms of accreditations are offered?
o Extended Package: What extended packages do graduates receive?
For example are lap tops offered? pensions/ blackberry etc.
o Future Employment Opportunities: Specifically where have
graduates gone after the scheme. Do they go into a job at a similar
grade level as the scheme or higher up/lower down?

Thank you

Best wishes

Yours faithfully,

Kirsty

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Dear Ms Kirsty,

RE: YOUR REQUEST 4075 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

We have considered your request which was for information on graduate
schemes. I now enclose information relating to Surrey County Council's
management trainee scheme, a graduate development programme for general
managers. The last cohort recruited under this scheme was in 2008.
Recruitment to the scheme was suspended in 2009.

Recruitment: How are graduates recruited and how are they assessed (I'm
interested particularly in any documentation used). For example how are
potential candidates scored against each other?

CV screening, telephone interviewing and assessment days were used in the
recruitment process. I have attached a sample marking sheet that was used
for the written exercise on the assessment day.

Written exercises and the interviews were marked against the county's
management competencies. These are:

Providing Direction
Managing Self and Personal Skills
Using Resources
Facilitating Change
Working with People
Achieving Results

Is the scoring a quantitative or a qualitative process?

The marks for each aspect of the assessment centre were quantitative.

Generally are your graduates straight out from university or do they have
experience? (or a mix?)

Some of our management trainees came straight from university and others
had work experience. Historically, the majority of the trainees we have
recruited have had less then two years prior experience.

Placements: How are placements chosen for graduates (do they move around
placements or do they work within a specific area)?

What level of internal management is involved in choosing these roles, and
what process is gone through? If possible, I would like to request copies
of documentation used.

Potential placements are identified by the scheme co-ordinator. Roles are
discussed with the trainee and their mentors and an agreement is made
after the trainee has discussed the role in more detail with the line
manager of the potential assignment.

I have attached a copy of the placement proposal form that line managers
complete.

After discussing opportunities with the scheme co-ordinator and their
mentor, trainees complete the following and return to scheme co-ordinator:

Available Support: What kinds of support processes are offered to
graduates? Is there a buddy system or some other form of mentoring? Is
there any specific documentation around this?

Trainees are assigned a previous management trainee as a buddy and a
senior manager as a mentor. This is an informal arrangement with no
specific documentation.

Review System: What kind of review processes do graduates go through and
what are the procedures for this? How often does it happen and is there
opportunity for promotion etc?

Trainee performance is reviewed by the scheme co-ordinator every 6 months
in collaboration with the assignment managers. In a formal performance
review meeting, development is measured against Surrey County Council's
competencies (see above). Upon satisfactory development graduates receive
a defined pay increase. Promotion could occur if trainees are appointed
into a substantive role, in which case they transition off the scheme.

Training: What kinds of opportunities are graduates offered in terms of
training and education? Is training offered internally or externally? What
forms of accreditations are offered?

Trainees complete a centrally funded Diploma in Management Studies from
Kingston University. There is also a program of internal training courses
that the trainees must complete. If trainees require specific training
related to their placement this is funded on a needs basis by the service
they are working in.

Extended Package: What extended packages do graduates receive? For
example are laptops offered? Pensions/ blackberry etc.

Trainees are entitled to all of the benefits offered to Surrey County
Council employees. There is one trainee laptop available for loan upon
request. Again, if their placement manager deems this necessary, remote
working equipment can be funded by the service.

Future Employment Opportunities: Specifically where have graduates gone
after the scheme. Do they go into a job at a similar grade level as the
scheme or higher up/lower down?

The trainees who have stayed with Surrey County Council after the scheme
have all gone into a job at the same grade they have finished the scheme
on or higher. None have dropped to a lower grade. Nor have we been unable
to place any trainees who have wanted to remain with the council.

We supply this information based on your original request. Please do not
hesitate to contact me at the above address if you have any queries
regarding the information enclosed. Remember to quote the reference
number above in any future communications.

You are advised that the information attached is subject to copyright in
that it is owned by Surrey County Council and/or its contractor/s unless
otherwise stated.

The supply of information under the Freedom of Information Act does not
give the recipient an automatic right to re-use those documents in a way
that would infringe copyright, for example, by making multiple copies,
publishing and issuing copies to the public. You are free to use it for
your own purposes under the "fair dealing" provisions of the Copyright
Design and Patents Act 1998 (S.29 and S.30), which allows use for the
purposes of research for non-commercial purposes, private study,
criticism, review and news reporting.

Any other re-use would require the permission of the copyright holder.
Details of the arrangements for reusing the material owned by Surrey
County Council and/or its contractor/s can be obtained by contacting the
Freedom of Information Officer on the address below. Authorisation to
re-use copyright material not owned by Surrey County Council and/or its
contractors, should be sought from the copyright holders concerned. If in
doubt, you should contact the Freedom of Information Officer in the first
instance.

If you are unhappy with the handling of your request for information and
wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, in the first
instance you should contact the County Council, quoting your request
number given above, at:

Freedom of Information Officer
Surrey County Council
Room 134
County Hall
Penhryn Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DN
[Surrey County Council request email]

If you are not satisfied by the County Council's response to your
complaint, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision. The Information Commissioner will normally expect you to have
exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely,

Wendy Penfold
HR Management Information Advisor
Tel: 020 8541 7118
Email Internal: Wendy Penfold/COR/SCC
External: [email address]

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