Early Career Professional Development Programme (ECPDP)
About the programme
Any early career professional who has joined within the last 12 months will be invited to join the programme.
The programme will include:
- A two-day residential workshop with colleagues from RPS Consultancy. The workshop will involve learning about different aspects of working at RPS and being a technically minded employee in the modern consultancy world. This will be combined with team building activities so you can begin to build your network across different disciplines within RPS.
- The Institute of Water’s Introduction to the UK Water Industry course, this 4-part course introduces the regulatory environment that we work in as well as the basics of how the industry works and future challenges.
- The ILM Level 4 in Leadership and Management. Over the course of the year, you will have the opportunity to undertake this industry wide recognised qualification. This is a mixture of self-learning and organised sessions, that will help develop your leadership skills right at the start of your career.
- Technical skills that you will need for your whole career are learnt through a mixture of on-the-job training, learning while you work on projects for our clients and technical sessions.
- A number of additional soft skills sessions to help you in achieving your potential as soon as possible.
- Office-based Peer-Groups ensure that everyone has the opportunity to practice key skills such as presenting and chairing meetings, in a friendly environment.
Benefits of the programme
Whatever your background is RPS wants your early career to be as great as possible. As part of our Early Career Professional Development Programme, we look to ensure you have the best start to your career at RPS. The programme includes:
- Introduction to the UK Water Industry, so you can understand the sector we work in and the regulation around it
- Leadership training, to assist in enhancing your leadership skills
- On the job training, developing your skills while working on live projects for our clients
- Opportunities to work on other types of projects to see other areas of the water industry
- Meeting and collaborating with colleagues from around the RPS business to assist with networking
This is supplemented by Early Career Professional networks across our offices, which meet regularly to share learnings and provide a peer-support network.
This assists in helping you align your early career so that you can achieve your career goals, as well as setting you up for any further professional development you may pursue.
The RPS Experience
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Owen Frew, Graduate Wastewater Modeller
The ECPDP is a great opportunity to meet other aspiring graduates. I am looking forward to developing my knowledge of the UK’s Water Industry, by undertaking the Institute of Water’s introductory course into the Water Industry. It is fantastic to be offered the opportunity to continue to learn whilst working full time at a company which tackles key environmental issues.
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Hannah Osbourne, Graduate Cleanwater Modeller
I’m looking forward to developing my soft skills, interacting with others and learning more about how we work as a company. I fee, that the ECPDP will not only provide me with a unique experience and important soft skills that will look good on my CV, but the networking opportunities will allow me to broaden my horizon of career paths.
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Thomas Sharpe, Graduate Wastewater Modeller
I am looking forward to developing my leadership and communication skills though qualifications that ECPDP offers, such as the industry recognized ILM Level 4 in Leadership and Management. The ECPDP programme will provide multiple opportunities to network with professionals in a variety of fields and gain valuable technical knowledge specific to my sector that will benefit my future career.
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Elena Poyates, Graduate Data Analyst
I Would like to learn more about the company and Water Industry. This programme will allow me to network with other graduates and to learn from their experiences. I am also looking forward to developing my communication, creativity, leadership and team-building skills and I believe this programme will help me decide where I want to focus my career.
Hear from some of our people
Discover Early Career Opportunities
The Water Technical Early Career Professional Development Programme has been designed to empower employees starting out in their career in the water industry. We want to ensure you have the best start as possible, let us help you kick start your career.
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