GoRizzume

Local Government Association Impact: the Local Government Graduate Programme 2027

Pays £36,693 a year.

NoImpact: The Local Government Graduate Programme (formerly the National Graduate Development Programme, NGDP)

No. Local Government Association does not sponsor its impact: the local government graduate programme for international students who need a visa. Candidates are required to have the right to work in the UK; no visa sponsorship route is mentioned anywhere in the programme's own materials.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Clears the threshold
Opportunity
graduate scheme
Pay
£36,693 at Barking and Dagenham; varies by host council
2027 cycle
Applications closed as of 1 October 2026 and will reopen for Cohort 29 in October 2026, no day published
Confidence
medium

Local Government Association Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme: at a glance

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme is a two-year fast-track graduate programme in local government. Graduates are employed on a two-year fixed-term contract as Graduate Management Trainees and complete three to four placements across council services. It includes a fully funded Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 7 qualification in Leadership and Management. Source

Duration
2 years“Graduates are employed on a two-year fixed term contract as a Graduate Management Trainee and are expected to complete three to four placements on rotation over the two years.”Source
Who can apply
Graduates from any background and subject with at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree by July 2027 and the right to work in the UK“To be eligible, graduates from all backgrounds and areas of study are welcome to apply with the requirement of a minimum 2.2 undergraduate degree by July 2027 and the right to work in the UK.”Source
Degree requirement
2:2 undergraduate degree in any subject“graduates from all backgrounds and areas of study are welcome to apply with the requirement of a minimum 2.2 undergraduate degree by July 2027”Source
Recruitment stages
  1. Situational judgement test
  2. Video interview
“including guidance on the Situational Judgement Test, video interviews and careers in local government”Source
“the right to work in the UK”
Local Government Association, from its own careers pages
The catch: Pay and exact eligibility wording differ slightly by host council since each Impact graduate is legally employed by the council hosting them, not by the LGA itself, so terms should be checked against the specific council's own posting.
Local Government Association early careersVerify on gov.uk

Applying to Local Government Association? Check your CV first.

Most graduate applications are filtered by an ATS before a human ever sees them. GoRizzume Pro scores your CV against the job description and shows you what to fix.

Try Pro free for 7 days

£0 today, then Pro is £14.99/month from day 8Card needed.We email you the day before you pay.Cancel anytime in Settings, Billing.

What Local Government Association publishes about this programme

Checked against Local Government Association's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: not published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Local Government Association

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Local Government Association sponsor visas for its impact: the local government graduate programme?

No. Local Government Association does not sponsor its impact: the local government graduate programme for international students who need a visa. Impact is the LGA's national fast-track scheme into local government, replacing the old NGDP brand from June 2024. Graduates are employed by a host council for a minimum two-year fixed-term contract, rotating through three to four placements. It wants a minimum 2:2 degree in any subject, with the 2027 cohort needing that degree confirmed by July 2027. Candidates are required to have the right to work in the UK; no visa sponsorship route is mentioned anywhere in the programme's own materials. Pay varies by host council: Barking and Dagenham's Graduate Management Trainees start on Scale 6, £36,693 a year.

What is the Local Government Association impact: the local government graduate programme?

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme is a two-year fast-track graduate programme in local government. Graduates are employed on a two-year fixed-term contract as Graduate Management Trainees and complete three to four placements across council services. It includes a fully funded Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 7 qualification in Leadership and Management.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme clears the Skilled Worker salary threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Local Government Association?

Pay and exact eligibility wording differ slightly by host council since each Impact graduate is legally employed by the council hosting them, not by the LGA itself, so terms should be checked against the specific council's own posting.

When do applications open for the Local Government Association impact: the local government graduate programme?

Applications closed as of 1 October 2026 and will reopen for Cohort 29 in October 2026, no day published. Checked on 2026-10-01 against Local Government Association's own site.

How long is the Local Government Association impact: the local government graduate programme?

2 years, according to Local Government Association's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Local Government Association impact: the local government graduate programme?

Graduates from any background and subject with at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree by July 2027 and the right to work in the UK, according to Local Government Association's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Local Government Association impact: the local government graduate programme?

2:2 undergraduate degree in any subject, according to Local Government Association's own careers information.

What are the recruitment stages for the Local Government Association impact: the local government graduate programme?

Situational judgement test, Video interview, according to Local Government Association's own careers information.

How should I confirm Local Government Association's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Local Government Association's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

All visa and sponsorship guides

Other public sector schemes

Before you apply

Check your CV against UK applicant tracking systems, then tailor it to the schemes that can actually sponsor you. GoRizzume Pro and Premium start with a 7-day free trial on monthly billing.

Try Pro free for 7 days
See what each plan includesSee all graduate schemes

Pro: £0 today, then £14.99/month. Card needed, we email you the day before, cancel anytime.

Other public sector schemes we track

Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.