Overview

As part of the Learning Exchange, Local Government Yorkshire and Humber have developed a programme to promote and provide secondment opportunities. This programme is open to employees, who could be employed within Local Government, other public sector bodies or within the private sector.

A secondment is defined as the movement of an employee from one area to another and can be for a specific time with defined corporate aims and/or purpose. Secondments provide the opportunity to develop people and partnerships that add to the organisation’s standing both internally and externally within the local community.

The success of Local Authorities depends on how effective the performance of its employees is at meeting the organisational priorities and needs. Secondment is increasingly being recognised as a valuable tool for development, making the best use of people’s skills and experience. Local Government Yorkshire and Humber recognises the mutual benefits secondment brings to both Local Authorities and employees. It offers employees career development opportunities and organisations the chance to develop their skills base.

Other benefits to participating in the programme include:

• A creative way to develop and enhance key and core staff
• Allows staff to gain new skills and broaden their experiences and retain them within the region
• Ability to test and apply specific skills in a different environment
• Keeping, expanding and transferring of specialist knowledge from one area to another, increasing confidence and adaptability
• Provides opportunities to manage changes in workload demands and fill skills gaps without having to make a permanent appointment
• Share best practice throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region
• A reduction in the cost associated with the recruitment of staff
• Broaden outlooks and develop flexibility
• The opportunity to increase career advancement
• The chance to obtain a greater awareness and understanding of different customer and people skills
• The opportunity to gain fresh cultural insight at a time of change.
• Alternative to redundancy and aid redeployment in other areas of an orgasnisation or sector.