'Find Your Path' - innovative campaign launched to transform local government recruitment

A targeted recruitment campaign has been launched today, 24th February, which aims to address critical workforce challenges in local authorities.

The Find Your Path campaign focuses on attracting young people aged between 18 and 27 to local authority roles, including those delivering the place services we all use such as local highways, waste and recycling, green space and access, as well as people based roles. 

The initiative has been developed as a partnership between the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), the Department for Transport (DfT), along with Colas, and the Midlands Highway Alliance Plus (MHA). 

The campaign, designed together with local authorities, will showcase the unique opportunities in the place sector of local government, highlighting the variety of jobs available.

Research by ADEPT's Future Highways Research Group (FHRG) revealed a stark workforce landscape, with only 11% of local authority staff aged 30 or younger, a lack of diversity, high vacancy rates across critical service areas and urgent skills gaps in environmental and technological domains. 

As part of the campaign development process, detailed focus groups were conducted with young people to understand their career aspirations and perceptions of local government. These discussions revealed that most young people don't understand what local authorities do, are not attracted to local authority careers and are unaware of the range of jobs available.

The eight week pilot campaign, developed by Eleven Agency, will run in five local authority areas: Barnsley, Hounslow, Oxfordshire, Plymouth and South Gloucestershire. It will focus on innovative recruitment strategies with the aim of showing the opportunities and meaningful roles available within local government.

A social media campaign will be run on TikTok, Meta and YouTube and a dedicated website has been developed where applicants can view live vacancies or register their interest.

Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Young people are key to securing the future of our highways sector.

“We’re supporting ADEPT’s recruitment campaign, to help the next generation of young people access careers in this important field of work.

“A skilled workforce is key to ensuring everyone can benefit from smooth and safe local roads - with the right people we can make the most of the extra £1.6bn boost to highways maintenance funding.”

Ann Carruthers, President of ADEPT, said: “The place sector is facing a critical workforce challenge that threatens our ability to deliver essential services and drive innovation. 

“Young people are crucial to the future of local government: without attracting young and diverse talent, we risk being unable to develop sustainable solutions for our communities, implement new technologies and meet the complex environmental challenges of the future. 

“This campaign is our proactive response which aims to showcase the exciting, impactful careers on offer, that many don't even know exist." 

Mo Baines, APSE Chief Executive, said: "APSE is proud to contribute to such an important campaign. As local authorities face increasing recruitment and retention challenges in frontline services, it’s more crucial than ever that we attract young people into these roles.

“Research shows that younger generations value meaningful work that is fulfilling, impactful and driven by a sense of purpose, so there is no better time for councils to highlight the unique opportunities they offer. Local government has a direct and lasting impact on people’s quality of life, from shaping the greenspaces they enjoy to maintaining the roads they travel and developing their communities.

“We are excited to see how this campaign inspires the next generation of local authority workers."

Donna Hitchcock, Executive Director, Colas Ltd said: “Colas is delighted to have been involved from the very inception in this groundbreaking campaign which from the outset has been focused on solutions and finding a tangible step to solving the problem. 

“We listened to young people through a series of focus groups, which highlighted that their values and interest could be well aligned with careers in local authorities, but that they were unaware of these options. Attracting young people to the sector is critical in securing the future delivery of services that we all rely on, it is an issue faced by private sector organisations working with the local public sector too. 

“This campaign highlights the breadth of career opportunities available in pathways that many young people have not even considered as possibilities for themselves, and will bridge the gap between the public and private sector, opening up exciting opportunities for young people to find fulfilling employment.

Karen Notman, Midlands Highway Alliance Plus (MHA+) Manager said: "MHA+ is delighted to sponsor the Find Your Path campaign to help local authorities reach young people and raise their awareness of the many exciting and varied place-based roles and careers on offer. Our hope is that the initiative will help local authorities attract and secure the talent and skills needed to make the positive difference our communities need now and into the future."

The recruitment initiative is part of ADEPT's broader strategy to address workforce challenges, ensuring local authorities can continue delivering essential services effectively.

The website is available here: https://findyourpath.uk/