Graduate Project Assistant (Business & Community Support)

(Ref: RCC1676DA)

Salary: National Minimum Wage

Job Status: 6 month Internship

Hours: 37 Hours per week

Location: Gun Wharf, Chatham

Closing Date : 26 MARCH 2012

The Graduate Internship

The purpose of this internship is to provide a recent graduate with the opportunity to gain valuable and practical work experience in a local government setting. The intern will assist Business Support and Social Regeneration officers in the promotion and marketing to local companies and residents of the Council’s business support and social regeneration initiatives. This internship has been made possible thanks to the GAPS project.

The GAPS Project

“GAPS” stands for “Graduate and Apprenticeship Placement Scheme”. Medway Council is the lead partner for this project, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg IVA programme of cross-border co-operation called “Two Seas”. One of its key aims is to provide opportunities for graduate internships and apprenticeships, which will equip both local people and cross-border beneficiaries with invaluable vocational experience that will strengthen their employability. There are six other partner organisations in the project - two from France and two from the Netherlands.

How to apply

There is NO application form, we will shortlist for interview / assessment based on the information you provide in your letter of application or a CV, so it must include all the items below.

Failure to include any of the requested information in the format detailed below is likely to result in you not being shortlised.

1. Your name including any known as and previous names used.

2. Your contact details including address, contact telephone and email.

3. The internship you are applying for and where you saw it advertised.

4. Your full work history, explaining any gaps. Including employer’s name, address, dates from and to, reasons for leaving and current salary. If you have never been employed before then please state that clearly.

5. Your full education history, explaining any gaps, including membership of any professional bodies, level obtained and date of entry.

6. We require details of 1 referee in your letter of application / CV. If you are currently working we will need a reference from your current employer. If you are not currently working, we will need a reference from your most recent employer/school or college. References will normally be taken up at the offer of appointment stage.

7. Finally, you need to outline why you are the right person for this internship – remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the “person specification” section of the job profile below in the order that they appear. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work or personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you are submitting a C.V. please ensure it is tailored to meet this requirement and fully answer all the questions.

Disclosure of Relationships and Equality Monitoring

Please also complete the equal opportunity monitoring form below and ensure that you include the following statement (either by cutting and pasting or copying)

Disclosure of relationships please delete as applicable:

i) I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief, I am not related to, or in a relationship with, any Councillor, or employee of Medway Council

ii) I declare that I am related to, or in a relationship with, the following Councillor or employee of Medway Council.

Name……………………… Position………………………. Relationship ……………

Name……………………… Position………………………. Relationship……….……

Signed…………………………………………... Date……………………………….

Where to send completed applications

email to

post to Resourcing Team, HR Services, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham Kent ME4

4TR

Or, if you have any queries, please contact us on 01634 332878 or if you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager call Clem Smith on 01634 338119.

Please note that providing false information is an offence and could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal if you are appointed.

MEDWAY COUNCIL - JOB PROFILE

DESIGNATION Graduate Project Assistant (Business & Community Support).

DEPARTMENT Economic Development & Social Regeneration

RESPONSIBLE TO Finance and Project Communications Officer

GRADE National minimum wage

1. MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

To provide support to the GAPS Project Co-ordinator and Principal Business Support Officer in undertaking a telephone and multimedia sales campaign to local businesses of the Council’s business support programmes for small business, in particular the GAPS apprenticeships programme.

To undertake sales and marketing actions, working with the Principal Business Support Officer to promote to local companies Medway’s portfolio of business support programmes – with the aim of gaining greater local business participation, particularly in relation to the Council’s apprenticeships programme.

To work closely with the Council’s corporate marketing team to generate, compile and disseminate new marketing and promotional materials to strengthen the ability to market effectively Medway’s business support programmes.

To contribute to the updating of the Economic Development & Social Regeneration web pages on the Council web site, working under the direction of the Finance and Project Communications Officer, on the quality of their presentation and their effectiveness.

To assist in the design and delivery of promotional and sales activities, of Medway’s business support programmes, linking up with the Principal Business Support Officer and colleagues from the Council’s corporate marketing team.

To act as a first point of contact for local companies, wishing to obtain preliminary information on Medway’s business support programmes for local small businesses and to provide them with preliminary advice.

To assist the GAPS Programme Co-ordinator and the Principal Business Support Officer in developing as high a profile as possible for Medway’s business support programmes via the web site and multimedia tools.

To work closely with colleagues that form part of the GAPS project and EDSR project support team, in particular the Principal Business Support Officer, as well as with the Council’s corporate marketing team.

To assist the GAPS Programme Co-ordinator and Principal Business Support Officer with other any other general duties considered relevant to the post.

2. ACCOUNTABILITY

MERGE05

2. PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

Essential

• A degree level qualification or studying towards a degree in marketing or a related subject

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience of sales and marketing activities

• Good working knowledge of HTML web site editing, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint.

Desirable

• A good working knowledge of the Medway area.

• Previous experience of partnership working and/ or project management.

• Experience in keeping records

• Previous experience in project delivery, event organisation.

Skills

Essential

• The ability to compile reports written and financial

• Ability to take ownership of work and fulfill agreed commitments, checking work for accuracy.

• Ability to communicate in a manner which is easily understood and tailored to meet the needs of the audience.

• Demonstrable experience of identifying potential problems and taking appropriate action.

• Ability to think about alternative ways of doing things and being open to new work practices and responsive to change.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Understands the process of team working and the part they play in ensuring objectives are met.

• Commitment to equality and diversity, accepting differences and treating everyone fairly.

• Experience of dealing with customers in a courteous and helpful way by keeping them advised of progress and offering them a solution to their problem.

• Demonstrable experience of taking responsibility for own actions and development opportunities, maintaining high levels of integrity.

3. ORGANISATION

(i) ORGANISATION CHART

(ii) DESCRIBE HOW AND BY WHOM THE POST IS MANAGED

The postholder will be line managed on a daily basis by the Finance and Project Communications Officer and will also receive project management supervision from the Principal Business Support Officer and the GAPS Project Co-ordinator.

(iii) DESCRIBE THE LEVEL OF INITIATIVE AND/OR INDEPENDENCE EXPECTED OF THE POST HOLDER

The postholder will be supervised on a day to day basis in terms of line managemeny by the Finance and Project Communications Officer and in terms of project management by the Principal Business Support Officer and GAPS Project Co-ordinator. The postholder will be encouraged to take initiatives and develop new marketing and sales ideas and innovations in support of the successful delivery of the role.

(iv) DESCRIBE ANY SUPERVISORY/MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

None.

(v) JOB CONTEXT - DESCRIBE THE MAIN CONTACTS, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AND THE PURPOSE OF THOSE CONTACTS

The main contacts for the postholder will be the line manager (Finance and Project Communications Officer), the Principal Business Support Officer and the GAPS Programme Co-ordinator.

4. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

The postholder will not have any budget management duties, however they will be required to administer invoices, payments and raise purchase orders as appropriate.

5. WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The post will be based at Gun Wharf and will be part of the project support team within the Economic Development & Social Regeneration Service.

/ EQUALITY & DIVERSITY MONITORING FORM /

The information that you provide on this form will be used for monitoring and will not be used for any other purpose or stored electronically. Information will be used in aggregate form only and where there are less 3 people providing a response this will not be reported.

AGE / 0-4 c / 20-29 c
Please choose one option / 5-7 c / 30-39 c
only. / 8-10 c / 40-49 c
11-9 c / 50-59 c
10-13 c / 60-69 c
14-16 c / 70-79 c
17-19 c / 80 & over c
I prefer not to answer this question c
CARING RESPONSIBILITIES
Do you have caring responsibilities (ie for children, parents or others)? Please choose one option only.
Yes c / No c / I prefer not to answer this question c
DISABILITY STATUS
Do you consider yourself to be a disabled person i.e. may experience discrimination on grounds of impairment or long-term health condition? Please choose one option only.
Yes c / No c / I prefer not to answer this question c
If yes, please choose all the relevant options.
Physical impairment / c / Sensory impairment / c
Mental health condition / c / Learning disability / difficulty / c
Memory impairment / c / Visibly different / c
Long-standing illness or health condition c
Any other impairment c - please specify below
I prefer not to answer this question c
GENDER
Please tick one box only / Male c / Female c
I prefer not to answer this question c
MARITAL / CIVIL PARTNERSHIP STATUS
Please choose one option only (the one that best describes your status).
Married or in a
civil partnership c / Divorced or dissolved
civil partnership c / Separated, but still
legally married or in
a civil partnership c
Widow or widower c / Surviving partner from
a civil partnership c / Living with someone c
Single c
I prefer not to answer this question c
POST CODE
Please write your Post Code / …………………………………………………………………..
RACE AND ETHNICITY
Please choose one option only (the one that best describes your racial/ethnic origin).
White / British / c
Irish / c
Any other White background / c / - please specify below
Multi-Ethnic / White & Black Caribbean / c / White & Black African c
White & Asian / c
Any other Multi-Ethnic background / c / - please specify below
Asian or Asian British / Indian / c / Pakistani c
Bangladeshi / c / Chinese c
Any other Asian background / c / - please specify below
Black or Black British / Caribbean / c / African c
Any other Black background / c / - please specify below
Other / Arab / c
Gypsy/Romany/Traveller of Irish Heritage / c
Any other Ethnic background / c / - please specify below
I prefer not to answer this question c
RELIGION AND BELIEF
Do you belong to a particular religion or hold a particular belief? Please choose one option only.
Yes c / No c / I prefer not to answer this question c
If Yes, which option best describes your religion or belief? Please choose one option only.
Agnostic c / Hindu c / Pagan c
Atheism c / Humanist c / Sikh c
Buddhist c / Jewish c
Christianity (all c / Muslim c
denominations)
Other religion/belief c - please specify below
I prefer not to answer this question c
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Please choose one option only (the one that best describes your sexuality).
Bisexual c / Gay woman/Lesbian c
Gay man c / Heterosexual/Straight c
Other c / - please specify below
I prefer not to answer this question c

Protecting your personal information

Medway Council will keep the information provided above as confidential. Access to, retention and disposal of this information will be strictly in accordance with data protection requirements. It will be used solely to ensure that Medway Council meets its obligations under equality legislation. Individuals will not be identifiable in any reporting.