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Lead the way. Find your path

The Graduate Management Trainee Scheme is a true springboard for a successful career. In fact, three of the last four CEOs of the NHS have been alumni of the scheme.

The NHS provides opportunities to move around and across the organisation, expanding your skills and knowledge as you go. An example journey might see you move from an acute trust to a PCT, then progress upwards, then move across to a different role. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Below you can meet some of our alumni and explore how their careers have developed following their participation on the graduate scheme.

Kaljit Chauhan

Programme Manager, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

  • 1990 - 1995
    Various Care Assistant Positions in Nursing Homes, Wolverhampton
  • 1995 - 1998
    Weekend Catering Supervisor, Rackham’s Coffee Shop, Birmingham
  • 1998 - 1999
    Renal Support Technician, University Hospital Birmingham
  • Jan 2000 - Jun 2000
    Primary Care Development Manager, Central Stoke Primary Care Group, Stoke-on-Trent
  • Jul 2000 - Sep 2000
    Consumers in NHS Research Support Unit, Winchester
  • Jan 2001 - Sep 2001
    Scenario Plan Project, Southampton & South West Hampshire Health Authority
  • Oct 2001 - Nov 2002
    Workforce Planner, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust & Project Manager, Hampshire and Isle of Wight WDC
  • Nov 2002 - May 2003
    Performance Manager, Directorate of Health & Social Care South
  • May 2003 - Mar 2004
    Assistant Director of Performance Management, SW London Workforce Development Confederation
  • April 2004 - Nov 2005
    Performance Health Strategy Consultant, SW London Strategic Health Authority
  • Nov 2005 - July 2006
    Benefits Realisation Health Strategy Consultant, SW London Strategic Health Authority
  • Aug 2006 - June 2007
    Performance/Commissioning Consultant, Kingston Primary Care Trust
  • June 2007 to Present
    Programme Manager, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

James Rimmer

Associate Director of Finance & Southampton NHS Community Services, Southampton City PCT

  • Sept 2001
    Joined the NHS Graduate Scheme (Finance)
  • July 2004 - May 2005
    Development Accountant for Southampton City Primary Care Trust. I was responsible for producing revenue and capital business cases for the PCT.
  • May 2005 - July 2006
    Senior Finance Planning Manager for Southampton City Primary Care Trust – Responsible for the PCTs Capital Team leading on capital planning and the creation of our public private partnership with our local improvement finance trust (LIFT) public sector partner.
  • July 2006 – June 2007
    Assistant Director of Finance (Financial Planning) for Southampton City Primary Care Trust. I was responsible for capital and revenue planning within the PCT.
  • June 2007 – present
    Associate Director of Finance for Southampton NHS Community Services Southampton City PCT – leading the Community Services arm of the PCT.

Sarah-Jane Marsh

Director of Planning and Productivity for Walsall Hospitals

  • 1999 - 2000
    Temporary job working as a Complaints Coordinator for Telewest Communications
  • Sep 2000 - Sep 2001
    Worcester Hospitals – Site Manager for Trauma and Orthopaedics and Head and Neck Dealing with various site issues, very general – e.g. include line managing medical secretaries, trying to reduce waiting lists, dealing with complaints, taking responsibility for health and safety issues such as organising fire drills.
  • Sep 2001 - Jan 2002
    Elective working for PwC in Sydney at a health risk management practice. Worked on three health-related projects, the main one on consolidating radiology practices into less sites. During the elective she developed lots of organisation and time management skills.
  • Jan 2002 - Sep 2002
    Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT – Modernisation Manager. During this job Sarah-Jane really felt like she was starting to make a difference. Projects included: setting up a diabetic retinopathy service, working with local optometrists; working with the GP Commissioning Group on admissions avoidance and early discharge.
  • Sep 2002 - May 2002
    Department of Health – Director’s Assistant at Directorate of Health and Social Care for the Midlands and East of England. Sarah-Jane acted in a private office function, having seen this as a chance to work at one of the two main NHS headquarters – she thought this would be a real eye-opener. She was involved in all types of activities, including dealing with emails and other correspondence, and keeping up-to-date with current affairs concerning the NHS. The Director at this time was David Nicholson, current Chief Executive of the NHS.
  • July 2003 - Sep 2005
    Walsall Hospitals – Head of Planning and Development. During this role she was responsible for setting up planning and performance management systems, modernisation and service improvement.
  • Sep 2005 - Dec 2007
    Walsall Hospitals – Director of Planning and Productivity. Sarah-Jane had overall responsibility for all performance information, clinical coding, clinical audit, service improvement, patient safety, assurance, governance and risk issues.
  • Dec 2007+
    Sarah-Jane was recently appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Birmingham Children’s Hospital – she is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Trust, including the performance of the clinical directorates and estates and facilities, as well as the service improvement and commissioner relationship portfolios.

Frieza Mahmood

HR Manager, Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust

  • 2001
    Aston University, Business School - Degree in Human Resource Management BSc
  • 2003
    In my third year I spent a year in industry working as a Trainee HR Manager for Cadbury Schweppes.
  • 2005
    Joined the NHS Graduate Management Scheme as an HR Management Trainee. For my first placement I was at Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust, working as a HR Officer. My second placement was at Walsall Teaching Primary Care Trust working as a HR Advisor.
  • 2006
    My elective placement (third placement) was for a global management consultancy, Accenture, working as a business analyst. My fourth placement was at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, working as an HR consultant.
  • 2007 onwards
    HR Manager, Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust, acting as a HR Business Partner to Unplanned Care, the Trust's largest division. The workload comprises lead HR operational support and also strategic project work e.g. workforce planning.