The Department has a range of editorial and administrative. Entry to editorial jobs is at trainee reporter level - current salary range £19,617 to £26,307. Benefits are generous and include: 28 days' leave plus 8 public holidays, rising to 40 days; gym; a choice of final salary or stakeholder pension; season ticket loans; and child care vouchers.

Training involves a three to four month intensive training period. A good degree or relevant experience is desirable but not essential. We are looking for people who have excellent English language skills, allied to a keen interest in current affairs, and who can work the varied and sometimes long hours that the House of Commons sits. All candidates are sent a written test with their application forms which we use to compile a shortlist. Those shortlisted have to attend the House for a three-hour test in current affairs/English language use and transcription of a tape of parliamentary proceedings. Those tests are examined, and a final shortlist of candidates are called for interview.

Administrative jobs – current entry level salary range is £15,989 to £26,307 – require candidates to have at least five O-levels and a willingness to work flexibly, including late nights.

The benefits of working for the House of Commons include: generous annual leave; non-contributory pension; season ticket loans; subsidised gym; and good catering facilities. Information on current vacancies can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/useful/job_opportunities.cfm. If you would like any further information about working for Hansard, please contact the Managing Editor (Learning and Development) on 020 7219 6846 or email prawerj@parliament.uk

Hansard's entry point to the editorial jobs ladder - from Committee reporter to Editor - is the post of trainee Committee reporter. The initial, intensive training programme for the post lasts for three to four months, and covers all aspects of parliamentary verbatim reporting - essentially learning the art of turning what can be clumsy, repetitive and muddled speech into a written form which is both easily understandable and consistent with House style.

Ongoing training is available at all levels in all areas of the department, with the aim of preparing staff for the next stages in their careers. In addition, the Department uses several training suppliers to provide staff with development and training in management, IT and personal skills. Staff are also encouraged to pursue Open University and other courses, for which generous financial assistance and time off are available, consistent with departmental work needs.

The Department successfully participated in a House-wide exercise to achieve accreditation as an IiP-accredited organisation. Each Department of the House appointed its own consultants to review its standing against the key indicators and to make recommendations on how to proceed, with a view to the House being recognised as one organisation.

IiP is a national standard recognised by business and trade unions that sets a level of good practice for training and developing staff to achieve business goals. It is based on four key principles: commitment, whereby Hansard undertook to invest in its staff in order to achieve its business aims and targets; planning, whereby it considers how skills, individuals and teams are developed; action, whereby it takes action to develop and use necessary skills in a well-defined and continuing programme tied directly to business objectives; and evaluation, whereby it evaluates training and development outcomes, value achieved and future needs.

Since achieving accreditation, the Department has been working on an action plan drawn up by the assessor to tackle issues identified in the formal assessment process, with a view to applying for reassessment under the new evidence-based standard within the next three years.

The Department places a high priority on the health and safety of its staff and aims to follow best practice whenever possible.

Hansard's high dependence on information technology equipment carries with it a responsibility for vigilance in health and safety to prevent the occurrence of health problems, especially those related to intensive keyboard work, or to respond quickly to them if they arise. Under the guidance of a dedicated health and safety manager, the Department has fully supported the Parliament-wide risk management strategy and has sought to achieve a high standard of care for its staff.

The focus of the Department’s safety action plan has been to make health and safety an integral part of the management of its staff. All staff are given appropriate health and safety training and line managers are specifically trained in risk assessment.

The Department has a policy of providing high-quality ergonomics advice, and its programme of physiotherapy treatment and postural guidance ensures that staff who develop problems can recover quickly and continue to work productively and safely.