West of Scotland Placements

West of Scotland Region is looking for one-two General Management Trainee(s) for the 2025 Cohort.  

West of Scotland Region 

The Boards in the West are currently in a challenging period that provides tremendous opportunities for growth and development for all our managers. There are challenges in each Board, and opportunity for the successful Trainee to partake in a variety of diverse and challenging placements in each Board allowing them to become a well-rounded manager.  

From the largest Board in the West, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, with its central position and a portfolio of historic facilities, to our Health and Social Care Partnerships, provide various levels of challenge and learning on a large scale. We also have our Specialist Board sites such as the Golden Jubilee and the State Hospital. These are individual entities held as best in class in their respective specialities, with tremendous facilities and the chance to work in different environments. We also have our fantastic Boards in Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Arran, and Forth Valley. These Boards offer fantastic exposure to our rural regions within the West, each with their own unique sense of community and a variety of approaches specific to the Region and challenges faced. These Boards have a real legacy of success within the Management Training Scheme with previous graduates flourishing in the Boards.  

Succession Planning is a real focus within our Boards in the West with dedicated plans and development for our managers and future Leaders to ensure they are vacancy ready. Each trainee would have access to a personalised and tailored plan, relevant to their experience and training needs as part of succession planning in the West which includes our Learning and Education offerings. 

With opportunities ranging from Acute, Estates and Facilities, Specialist Boards, IT to our Health and Social Care Partnerships in the West, joining the West Region gives the Trainee a real chance to make immediate impact and contribution to a growing and developing Region where the they would graduate with real world experience, hands on training and skills to make immediate impact as well as provide real strength to their Board. 

Regional arrangements 

Lead Board: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde  

A designated host Board provides a Placement Coordinator, who is the key point of contact for the trainee in the region, working closely with the national Scheme Manager.  

Other Participating Board(s) providing placement opportunities for the trainee during the Scheme: NHS Dumfries & Galloway; NHS Golden Jubilee; Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership. 

Potential placement options may also include: NHS Ayrshire and Arran; NHS Forth Valley; NHS Lanarkshire; The State Hospital. 

Induction  

Local Induction will be provided by the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board (NHSGGC), working with the Senior Organisational Development Advisors initially and then supported by current General Managers across the Board.  

Over a 2-month period, a structured calendar of events will be provided where the successful candidate will meet with the Executive Team and senior managers, spending time in each department across NHSGGC and have an opportunity to reflect on learning across the induction period.  

There will be introduction to the NHS Scotland systems, as well as the more logistical systems and  access and time with the current General Manager population as well as previous graduates of the Management Training Scheme  A structured onboarding, will ensure that the Trainee gets a fully rounded induction, covering health and safety, data protection, and all mandatory elements.  

This will allow the Trainee to join the West at a comfortable pace allowing time for acclimatisation and ramping up to the first placement. 

Management Trainee posts  

We aim to group placements geographically to mitigate travel requirements. Initially placements will be available across Greater Glasgow and Clyde, The Golden Jubilee and Health and Social Care Partnerships in the West.  

In Year 1, the Trainee will join Greater Glasgow and Clyde where they will take up a 6-month placement in an operational role within Acute, joining the General Management Team based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. This role will cover the challenges and demands within multi-disciplinary teams in NHSGGC. The Trainee would work directly with the teams and have support from appointed experienced colleagues. 

The Trainee will then join one of our Health and Social Care Partnerships based in East Renfrewshire where they will take up a managerial role with a responsibility over a wide range of community-based services. This placement will provide a diverse role within an integrated service, differing from the pace and environment of NHSGGC. The placement will involve working closely with a previous MTS graduate, allowing the Trainee to access someone who knows the importance of the placement in terms of the experience, confidence, and knowledge that it can provide. 

Into Year 2 and after the 3-month elective, the Trainee will have a more strategic role within the Golden Jubilee special Board for 6 months. Based within the Specialist Hospital the Golden Jubilee,  they will have access to a contained Board operating in unique settings and assist the Management Team with the direction and implementation of the Golden Jubilee strategy, who are responsible for key decisions and accountable for successful projects within the Board. 

In the Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Arran, and Forth Valley Health Boards the placements will include a 6-month placement at Dumfries and Galloway, where the Trainee will join the Acute and Diagnostic Management Team. This is an operational role which supports the team in the smooth running of the directorate. It will involve working directly with services and the multi-disciplinary teams within services. We cover Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary (DGRI), Mountainhall Treatment Centre, and Galloway Community Hospital. The main base will be in DGRI, with any movement between locations supported. The placement is predominately on-site, but we would support working from home one day a week.  

Potential placements in Lanarkshire and State Hospital Boards may also become available. 

Trainee support  

The Executive-level Sponsor will be the Director of Human Resources in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. NHSGGC will also provide Placement Coordinator: Senior Organisational Development Advisor. Further support will be provided within each placement with a number of potential Board mentors identified. Intention would be to match the Trainee up with an initial suitable mentor in the West, based on information provided by both and test the chemistry before confirming for the duration. Each placement and Board will provide a local buddy for the duration of the placement in that Board. This will provide the trainee with a local ear and support network as their placements progress, that can then feed into the Region. 

Year 3  

A substantive 12-month post in the West of Scotland Region.  

Health Board options for the year 3 three include Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Dumfries and Galloway, and the Golden Jubilee.  

After the Scheme 

Each Board is committed to supporting the Trainee finding post-Scheme employment.