THE International Trade Development Programme is looking for the next generation of leaders in international trade to work in Darlington - with the roles paying up to £31,824 and don't need any degrees or experience.

The two-year scheme is designed to train and develop highly skilled trade experts with a passion for international trade.

Successful candidates will be placed in one of DIT’s top teams, working with colleagues across the globe to craft world-class free trade agreements, develop the UK’s future trade policy, or support UK businesses to export their products to the world and attract the biggest investors to the UK.

Read more: Darlington Council to repay £1.7m for Treasury offices

Trainees will work alongside teams with decades of industry experience, who will provide expertise and support to develop the future leaders in trade.

Successful candidates will have the option to be based at the new Department for International Trade campus in Darlington or at Old Admiralty Building in London.

Their placement in a UK team will be followed by six months working overseas at one of DIT’s 127 offices based across the world. Previous trainees have been to India, Uruguay, and Australia.

The initiative aims to support social mobility, as candidates do not need a university degree to apply but will require applicants to have five GCSEs, including English Language and Maths and must meet the relevant security clearance.

International Trade Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan said: “There has never been a more exciting time to join the Department for International Trade.

“2022 will be a five-star year for trade as we begin negotiations with India, plan to launch negotiations with Canada, Mexico and the Gulf, and secure accession to the £8.4 trillion CPTPP trade bloc.”

“We’re looking for highly motivated, talented individuals from different backgrounds who can learn how to design and negotiate first-class deals in the years to come, as the UK cements leads the way as an independent trading nation.”

Ben Gruenberg completed the trade programme last year and now works as a Senior Clean Growth Adviser at the British High Commission in New Delhi.

He said: “DIT is certainly a great place to start your career and really gives you space to learn and develop.”

“There has been a huge variety in the types of work I have done whilst on the programme, ranging from ministerial briefings, supporting trade negotiation sessions to running trade promotion events overseas to create export opportunities for British businesses.

The initiative aims to support social mobility, as candidates do not need a university degree to apply but will require applicants to have five GCSEs, including English Language and Maths and must meet the relevant security clearance.

The last programme ran from 2019-2021 and attracted over 2,000 applicants, and the successful candidates are now all senior executive officers. Potential candidates who are not appointed to the training programme may be considered for other roles in the department.

Applications close on January 31. For more information visit the civil service jobs site.

The trade development programme is part of the wider recruitment campaign for roles based outside of London. Since June 2021, 378 roles have been advertised externally across offices in Darlington, Belfast, Edinburgh, and Cardiff and a further 120 DIT roles were advertised in January.

These include roles such as South Asia Policy Advisor and Director for Trade Advocacy based at the DIT Darlington Campus.

 

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Darlington Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054