Stories

Have a look at these videos and stories of our current graduates:

My name is Ashley, I have completed the scheme in July 2025.

I applied for the three-year Financial Management Graduate Scheme because I knew it would give me the opportunity to develop my financial management and leadership skills whilst studying for a professional accountancy qualification through an intense development experience.  since being in post I have rotated into a number of placements which has given me invaluable insight and experience in financial, business and leadership roles that entail real work situations.  I have worked closely with doctors, nurses and other health professionals to ensure the best decisions about modern, effective and flexible services are made, including making tough decisions about where and how resources are allocated, and money is spent.

If I was to describe my experience in one word I would say valuable. The different work placements I have undertaken alongside studying have enriched my knowledge, developed my skills, challenged me in one way or another, but through it all I have managed .

I have had many great opportunities to work in various placements within the health board and one external placement that have aided in growing the foundational knowledge, skills and experience in finance that were acquired in my first year of being on the scheme.  My second year has greatly sharpened my competency across various financial functions and by having autonomy and responsibility over tasks has largely increased my strategic thinking, analytical abilities, collaborative nature and being able to draw suitable conclusions just to name a few.                                       

My third year on the graduate scheme has been eventful and enriching in that I have been able to play an active role in each of my placements that included business partnering, financial planning and financial accounting. Each of the placements have helped solidify my knowledge and skills in understanding of the finance function, contributed to personal effectiveness and continuous improvement to be able to assess and present through financial information and reporting on the sustainability of various services offered by the Health Board level of discipline.

Undoubtedly, one of the most valuable aspects of the placements has been the ability to have the support of both NHS Wales finance academy and Cardiff and Vale UHB who have worked closely together to ensure that I achieve all objectives set out by the scheme

I am Gareth and I work as a Financial Management Graduate Trainee, in Hywel Dda University Health Board. I am starting my third year in September 2025.

My first year on the scheme has been really positive and I have enjoyed every aspect of it so far.

I came into the role not having any practical experience of accountancy, finance or the systems used. This felt daunting to begin with, however the scheme has eased me into the roles and with the help of the teams I have worked with I feel confident and knowledgeable as a financial professional even as little as a few months into the scheme.

Everyone I have worked with so far has been very welcoming and more than happy to pass on knowledge and skills of the various roles. I have felt a vital part of teams in the placements I have worked in, encouraged to give my input and thoughts regardless of my current skills or expertise.

I have built up many skills from admin and computer software skills, to accountancy skills (which directly relate and help with the qualification studies), to management and financial literacy and knowledge.

During my second year on the scheme I have undertaken more in depth placements and tasks within these with more responsibility. I was able to partake in an external placement to my Health Board, experiencing the Commissioning side of NHS Wales Finance. Gaining valuable experience and knowledge on how the wider NHS Trust network operates together and the complexity this entails. Additionally, I was able to work with teams outside of finance such as digital, nursing and workforce. This collaboration highlighted the key links between all functions in NHS Wales and improved my understanding of the role that finance is to ensuring patient care is achieved

The opportunities that we are very fortunate to have during the scheme have been one of the highlights.  Meeting the top senior officials in NHS Wales with the other graduates on my years scheme was a particular highlight. The insight that was given was invaluable.

It has been helpful and encouraging that many senior members, Directors of Finance and above have started on the scheme (or similar version) and this has assisted them into gaining the positions they currently have

My name is Leanne, and I am starting my second year on the Graduate Scheme in September 2025 as a Financial Management Graduate trainee at Public Health Wales.

I applied for the Financial Management Graduate Scheme as I was looking for a career change. I am not from a finance background, but my previous job role had some financial elements, which is something that I really enjoyed and wanted to explore further. The graduate scheme stood out to me as it offered excellent training and progression whilst also providing me with the opportunity to gain a professional accountancy qualification. Working for the NHS was also something that hugely appealed to me as it’s an organisation that directly benefits society so I knew the work would feel incredibly rewarding.

The thing that I love the most about working in NHS Finance is that I get to work with, and learn from, a team of skilled professionals who are helping to improve the health and improve the quality of care given to the population of Wales. I feel like I am making a positive contribution to society by embarking on this career path.

My first year on the scheme has really flown by and has been an incredibly positive experience, even if the exams have felt daunting. I came into the role with no prior experience of accountancy but as I am approaching the end of my first year, I feel confident knowing I have built a foundation of basic finance knowledge and skills from my study and placement opportunities. I have really enjoyed the rotational aspect of the placements as they have enabled me to work with different finance functions. This has given me the opportunity to learn something new from each team to further develop my finance knowledge.

The best tip that I could give someone who is thinking of applying for the NHS Wales Financial Management Graduate scheme is to do some background research to see if the role is the right fit for them. The scheme requires graduates who possess certain competences and skills and for this reason, there is a rigorous recruitment process. But the process is so worthwhile as securing a place on the scheme is an incredibly invaluable opportunity