Government and public services

Structure of the UK Civil Service

The UK Civil Service plays a key role in British life and although it serves the Government of the day, it is politically independent. Civil servants:

• Provide advice on policymaking to ministers, helping to formulate Government policy
• Are responsible for ‘operational delivery’ across a vast array of services, ensuring that policy is implemented: for example, administration of pensions and tax, controlling borders, supporting people back to work and running courts.

Half of all civil servants are women and only 1 in 5 works in London. The UK's civil service and Government public bodies include:

• 44 departments (there are 24 Ministerial and 20 non-Ministerial departments), which broadly speaking work with Government to formulate policy
• 424 executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), making up 75% of the Civil Service, which implement these policies. Public bodies are independent organisations that deliver specific functions on behalf of certain departments. 

For an accessible and helpful commentary that examines the duties, responsibilities and working practices of officials, we recommend using the Understanding the Civil Service website, created by an experienced senior civil servant. This and related websites on Policy Making, Regulation and Local Government are listed in the Resources section of this briefing. 

Structure of Local Government

Local Government administrations manage planning, implementation and delivery of local services in line with the policies and priorities set by councillors. The services include both revenue raising and delivering services that impact people’s everyday lives, including local education and social care, promoting local business, planning and managing infrastructure, housing, parks and policing.

The Understanding Local Government website provides accessible information on the structure and working practices of Local Government across the UK, offering a valuable introduction to this important but diverse branch of public sector administration.

There is also an increasing level of devolution to combined authorities made up of several local authorities, which are led by a directly-elected mayor. In addition to the Mayor of London, there are eleven metro mayors and, as of May 2024, exactly 50 per cent of the population of England, or 27.7 million people, live in areas with a directly-elected mayor. The metro mayor's focus is on issues that span individual local authority boundaries, such as local labour markets, adult education, housing markets and transport infrastructure and services. These office-holders work with the leaders of their associated local authorities to create a strategy for the wider area, while local authorities remain responsible for most delivery of the public services.

The range of jobs within the Civil Service is enormous. It embraces administrative roles with arts councils and embassy posts with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), intelligence roles, legal services with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), frontline service delivery as well as policy work, statisticians, economists and social researchers working across Whitehall departments and ensuring the proper functioning of Parliament. Public sector roles can also be found in engineering and defence, the administration of patents, passports and tax, border control and much more.

The Civil Service employs people across many functions, including business administration, finance, personnel management, technology, communications, and research and development. Although a large number of roles are based in London, especially those dealing with policy formulation and advice, staff may work anywhere in the United Kingdom and possibly overseas. The civil service has successfully moved many roles out of London and there are offices and agencies in cities across all four home nations to support devolved governments, and to implement and deliver national and regional policies. 

Another significant trend, although not one that affects graduate recruitment, has been the direct recruitment to senior posts from outside the civil service and the appointment of increasing numbers of special advisers. For people interested in politics, and perhaps seeking public office in future, the route may well involve working for a local MP or party political work as a parliamentary researcher or adviser.

Local Government roles mirror those in central government. Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme is a graduate entry route co-ordinated by the LGA (more details in next section). This offers a developmental programme with challenging assignments within a single participating local authority to accelerate the graduate's learning. Graduates can also seek out and apply directly to specific positions advertised by local authorities. The variety of roles in local authorities includes:

• Policy related roles in areas such as Local Government strategy, policing, housing and education
• Functional roles such as finance, human resources (HR), technology, library and information management specialists
• Operational management and delivery of services.

There will also be opportunities to work in the offices that serve the Mayor of London and any of the metro mayors. Officers will be helping to develop and implement strategies for growing the economy in the area, and creating the frameworks and impetus needed to achieve change in those policy areas where they have devolved powers, such as housing, transport and skills.

Graduate Schemes

Graduate schemes in the UK public sector typically follow a structured recruitment cycle, with applications opening only once a year. For most major programmes - such as the Civil Service Fast Stream and NHS Graduate Scheme - applications open in September and close between October and November. This might not be the case for other programmes, such as Local Government and Intelligence Services, where the schedule is not fixed. Prospective applicants should always double-check the website of their preferred scheme so as not to miss the yearly deadline.

Civil Service

The flagship Civil Service programme is the Fast Stream, one of the most widely recognised and desirable graduate recruitment options for decades, consistently placing first or second in the annual Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey. The Fast Stream typically takes on more than 1,000 new starters each year. It is highly competitive, with an approximate 1.0% success rate for applications received.

The programme offers 17 schemes that provide structured training leading to a career path in a government profession. Most of the schemes allow working in different government departments, and most provide the opportunity to study for a professional qualification. Candidates can apply for up to three schemes.

For students in their final two years at university with an expected 2:2 or higher in any degree subject and from a lower socio-economic background, the Civil Service offers the FS Summer Internship Programme (SIP). Successful applicants will be offered a paid work placement of up to 8 weeks and be invited to undertake the ‘Fast Pass’, which is an accelerated route through Fast Stream selection if applying to the main scheme within 12 months of completing the SIP.

Individual Government Departments and Agencies offer their own graduate schemes. These programmes are designed to develop future professionals through a combination of practical experience, formal training, and mentorship, typically lasting between two and three years. Some examples are:

• Regulatory Departments: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) graduate schemes; Valuation Office Agency graduate schemes; HMRC Tax Specialist Programme and Finance Graduate Scheme; Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Delivery Graduate Scheme.
• Legal Departments: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Legal Trainee Scheme and Government Legal Profession Legal Trainee Scheme.
• Health, safety and standards: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Health Policy Fast Track Scheme, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Trainee Inspector of Health and Safety programme, and Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Graduate Scheme

Local Councils graduate schemes

The Local Government Association (LGA) runs the Impact Graduate Programme, designed to develop future leaders in Local Government. Successful applicants are employed by their local authority for the duration of the programme and will develop a broad understanding of different aspects of local government by undertaking placements in corporate roles, and front-line and support services across a number of key areas within a council (e.g. education, social services, planning, corporate services and strategy). Moreover, Impact offers its trainees a fully funded CMI Level 7 qualification in Leadership and Management.
For graduates interested in the built environment, the LGA offers a dedicated graduate scheme, Pathways to Planning, to address the national shortage of skilled planners while supporting the development of future professionals. In this programme, successful applicants will be offered a full-time job for a minimum of two years and will be supported to pursue a fully funded postgraduate degree.
Some county and city councils offer their own dedicated graduate schemes. The website https://publicsectorgradschemes.co.uk/ hosts a long list of schemes available at local councils.

Police and law enforcement graduate schemes

Police Now is a national graduate scheme that recruits people into policing across England and Wales. It is a structured two-year programme with two routes; the National Detective Programme, focused on investigations, and the National Graduate Leadership Programme, focused on community engagement and local crime.

The programme combines frontline experience with formal training, leadership development and access to a dedicated Performance and Development Coach. It aims to equip recruits with skills such as decision-making, problem-solving, negotiation and resilience.

An alternative route into the police force in England and Wales is the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP), a two-year programme that offers on-the-job training that leads to a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice.

The National Crime Agency offers the NCA Officer Development Programme (ODP), a two-year training programme that leads to accreditation as an NCA Investigator (the operational pathway), NCA Intelligence Officer (the intelligence pathway), or NCA Analyst (the analyst pathway) depending on the individual’s aptitude. This scheme is aimed at candidates who are not interested in frontline policing and prefer focusing on high-level crime work.

Intelligence Services 

Both the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) run their own graduate programmes, offering schemes of different length and scope.

The MI5 Intelligence Officer Development Programme (IODP) is a structured six-year pathway in which trainees rotate through different posts to become fully trained Intelligence Officers. The role is desk-based and focused on analysis, decision-making and coordination.

The MI5 Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme (IDADP) is a five-and-a-half-year structured pathway in which trainees rotate through different analyst positions and focus on developing technical skills through intensive analytical training. Previous experience in data analysis is required to apply to this scheme.

Like Intelligence Officers, Intelligence and Data Analysts work in office-based roles.

Campaigns for IODP and IDADP run periodically, but not on a fixed schedule, and the application process takes approximately 12 months.

Students with a STEM background can consider applying to the MI5 and MI6 Technology Graduate Development Programme (TGDP). This two-year programme is designed to develop graduates into skilled technologists working in national security.

The TGDP offers different streams focusing on different areas such as delivery management (MI5), software engineering (MI5 and MI6), business analysis (MI5), information and cyber security (MI5), user experience design (MI5), data science and ML/AI (MI5).

The NHS and Healthcare

The NHS offers a Graduate Management Training Scheme (GMTS), providing candidates with the opportunity to develop skills in four non-clinical specialisms, including General Management, Human Resources, Finance, and Health Informatics, and to pursue a professional or postgraduate qualification. Over two years, candidates will undertake rotational placements across NHS organisations. To apply to the GMTS, applicants need at least a 2:2 degree in any subject.

For clinical-based roles, the NHS Scientist Training Programme is a three-year scheme for students with a STEM background, to become a clinical scientist in one of the many specialities (the full list can be found here) and to gain a master’s degree in the chosen area of work.

Social Work

Hundreds of thousands of children in England need support from social care services, and skilled social workers can make a major difference in their lives. 

To train the next generation of social workers, Frontline runs Approach Social Work, a fully funded structured programme that leads to a postgraduate diploma by the end of year one and a master’s degree by the end of year three. Trainees are offered guidance and training from tutors and practice educators, and a career-long chance to network with peers as part of the Frontline Fellowship.

For graduates with at least 6 months of paid/voluntary experience working with vulnerable people, Step up to social work offers an intensive 14-month fully funded training programme leading to a PGDip (level 7) in social work.

Teaching

It only takes one brilliant teacher to change a child’s life. The Teach First Training Programme is a two-year pathway offering teacher and leadership training and fully funded Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). 

For currently enrolled undergraduate students, Teach First offers the Taster Programme, a one-day full immersion with interactive workshops and hands-on teaching sessions that will help to build the skills to apply (and succeed) on their Training Programme. 

Direct Entry Positions

Jobseekers interested in working in the public sector can also apply for direct-entry roles rather than going through a structured graduate scheme. Unlike graduate programmes, these roles allow individuals to enter a specific role (e.g., Executive Officer or Higher Executive Officer) and are typically advertised throughout the year by individual authorities, offering more flexibility in timing.

The sector is looking for talented graduates who can become senior managers that will shape the future of policy and management in government at the highest level.

All potential applicants for the Civil Service should be familiar with the Civil Service Code, a short document which introduces the core principles that provide the foundations for the civil service culture: Honesty; Impartiality; Integrity and Objectivity.

Skills needed

Since 2019, the Civil Service has recruited against its Success Profiles framework. There are a number of explanatory documents that applicants can use to understand how the recruitment process works and the assessment criteria used. For roles outside the Civil Service it is probable that equivalent information will be available for that recruitment - but if not, candidates will benefit from using the following content.

Use three resources when drafting written answers, personal statements and preparing for interviews:

• Success Profiles Candidate Overview This gives a short introduction to the five elements of the Success Profiles, the range of assessment methods you may face, how your performance will be assessed and the scope for reasonable adjustments within the process to accommodate candidates with specific requirements.
• Success Profiles: Behaviours This longer document provides short definitions (1 or 2 sentences) for each of the nine Behaviours, which are broadly aligned with the earlier Civil Service Competency Framework. The document includes detailed exemplification of effective behaviours for each Behaviour across six different levels, from administrative grades to director general level. Candidates should pay most attention to the examples provided for the level appropriate to their application: for example, Fast Stream candidates should review the Level 3 statements for HEO/SEO grades for the Behaviours being assessed.
• Success Profiles: Strengths Dictionary The addition of strengths to the recruitment mix allows for a wider selection of questions and enables assessors to acknowledge a wider variety of experiences when evaluating candidates. The Strengths Dictionary includes definitions for 36 separate strengths and also summarises how different strengths map onto the nine Behaviours.  

The inclusion of Abilities, Technical Skills and Experience extends the scope for the Success Profiles framework to be used for recruitment across the whole civil service. For example, more weight can be given to Experience when evaluating candidates for senior appointments. Perhaps most relevant for graduate recruitment, the final selection stage for recruitment to the professions (e.g. the Government Services for Economics; Statistics; Operational Research; Social Research; Legal Profession) will include analysis and policy exercises that assess Technical Skills and knowledge, which should have been covered in your degree studies, whilst the Diplomatic FS assessments may include a language acquisition Ability test. 

For entry into Local Government positions the key skills and behaviours sought will be similar to those for the Civil Service. Councils are looking for "adaptable, resourceful graduates who will embrace and effect change". Look for more information on the website for the LGA's Impact Graduate Programme and, once you have made an application, use the career pages of the local authorities to which you have applied in order to understand their local culture and any specific expectations above and beyond the content outlined above.

Getting experience

Comparatively few formal opportunities exist for working in the government services during the vacations. 

The civil service runs the Summer Internship Programme (SIP) for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Applications are usually made during the same application window as the Fast Stream but please check the website. The SIP will usually be a 6-8 week work placement in a government department. Participants will also receive selection skills support for other applications and if successful can receive the Fast Pass for quicker Fast Stream selection (Fast Pass candidates may be invited to skip the initial online selection stages and receive a direct invitation to the FSAC). 

The other summer programmes we have seen each year have tended to be within the cross-governmental service professions and Departments, agencies and NGDPs that have a dedicated graduate entry programme. These target penultimate year students, and are run independently for example by the Government’s Economic Service (GES); Operational Research Service (GORS); and Statistical Service (GSS). The Government Communication Service (GCS) also runs a 6-12 week internship for students that meet their diversity criteria. Expect announcements in January and applications to open in February or March. Interested students need to monitor relevant career pages closely - and register their interest to receive updates - because the application window can be very short (e.g., 2 weeks).

The intelligence services also run their own summer programmes. For example, GCHQ's summer opportunities include separate programmes in Maths and Cryptography; Cyber skills; Technology (Research, Engineering, Computer Network Operations); and a Language Talent Programme for final year students. Similarly, there are summer programmes with MI5, the security service.

There are also some specific bursary schemes that students can apply for, which include training or work experience in the summer vacation. Check the selection and eligibility criteria for individual schemes that you are interested in. For example, engineering students with an interest in a career with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are eligible for the DESG Sponsorship Scheme (DESG). This provides paid summer work placements (within MOD establishments) and sponsorship of at least £3000 each year of study.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has in the past run the FCO Graduate Internship. Available to finalists and recent graduates, this programme offered 9-18 months full-time experience, providing an in-depth insight into the work of the department. This programme has not run since 2020, first because of Covid and then due to a hiring freeze following the merger of FCO and DFID, but may return: look for information from the beginning of the calendar year, and anticipate applications opening in February or early March.

Students may also be able to obtain vacation/temporary work in departments and agencies by contacting local offices directly. For example, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) deliver frontline services through a national network of local offices, which can provide an insight into aspects of their work. Other options include:

• Using the Work for MP portal, which is funded by the House of Commons in order to provide career development opportunities for those looking for a job with an MP or in other areas of political activity
• Look for temporary work or work experience/internships with local authorities, and it is well worth exploring this possibility with the local authority in your home region
• Registering for government work with a temping agency, for example in Westminster (London) or your home area.

Will I get paid?

Internships and summer jobs are governed in the UK by National Minimum Wage law, which means that if you are carrying out activities that class you as a “worker” by the employer, then you should be paid. Full details of Employment Rights and Pay for Interns are published by the government.

If you are undertaking a learning and development opportunity such as a micro-internship, or volunteering for a charity or statutory body, or shadowing or observing, then you may not be eligible for the National Minimum Wage. The organisation may reimburse you for your travel and/or lunch expenses, but they aren’t obliged to do so.

The Civil Service Jobs website enables you to search all jobs in the Civil Service and central government organisations by organisation, location, job grade level and/or salary. There are many different options to select from, but you can save your preferred searches and set up job alerts.

There is also a separate Civil Service Careers website, which carries details of positions and provides information. There is also a useful variety of tools to help research your interests, including:

• Career Matcher: a quick quiz format tool examining your transferable skills that can make you a good fit for working in the Civil Service, and will link to the top three Professions pages that match your choices
• Discover Departments and Discover our Professions to support your research and understanding
• An interactive map showing vacancies around the country.

Applications 

The level of competition for all entry level development programmes will be high, and will include internal candidates seeking to boost their career development alongside students and recent graduates.

Recruitment procedures and types of assessment methods specifically for the Fast Stream vary from year to year so it is best to consult the website directly and read very carefully about each stage of recruitment and what is required.  Applications normally open in early October and close in early November.  Please check the websites for exact dates. 

Different graduate programmes are likely to have their own recruitment processes. However, many of these mirror or reflect elements of the Fast Stream recruitment. More detailed information is still available on the Fast Stream website, and includes a lot of specific detail through the Fast Stream FAQs. 

Sector information and insight

• UK: Working for the Civil Service
• Civil Service Careers
• UK Public Sector Graduate Schemes
• Facebook: UK Civil Service – a useful site to keep up-to-date and to ask current Fast Streamers questions
• Fast Stream Social Wall – a site pulling together the fast stream’s social media content in one place

For an accessible and helpful commentary that examines the duties, responsibilities and working practices of officials, we recommend Understanding the Civil Service, one of a number of sites created by a retired senior civil servant, Martin Stanley.

Sector vacancies 

• Prospects – Graduate careers website
• TARGETjobs – Graduate careers website
• Civil Service Jobs  – Comprehensive job search tool across the whole civil service
• Work for MP  – an information and jobs site funded by the House of Commons to provide career development opportunities for those looking for a job with an MP or in other areas of political activity
• Jobs Go Public – jobs in the public sector
• LG Jobs - Job in Local Government
• The National Archive – public records archive

Transform Alliance and Public Sector graduate programmes

• Impact – The local government graduate programme (rebranded for 2025, previously known as the NGDP)
• TeachFirst - One of many routes into the teaching profession
• Approach Social Work (run by Frontline) - Social Work supporting families and children
• Police Now - Policing
• Entrepreneur First - Entrepreneurship
• Lead First - British Army

Departments and Agencies

All departments have their own websites, which contain information about their work/responsibilities and vacancies. Some of the more popular options and websites include:

• Competition and Markets Authority
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Blog – from ministers and officials working at the FCO.
• HM Treasury
• Government Communication Service (GCS) and GCS Careers, the professional body for UK Civil Service communications professionals.
• Gov UK: Statistics
• Government Economic Service
• Government Operational Research
• GCHQ
• Mi5
• Secret Intelligence Service (SIS): Careers
• The National Archive – public records archive.

Recruiters are keen to have a diverse workforce, and many will have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting students and graduates from diverse backgrounds. An increasing number of recruiters are offering traineeships, internships and insight events that are aimed at specific groups and many are being recognised for their approach to being inclusive employers.

Try the following to discover more about the policies and attitudes of the recruiters that you are interested in:

• Read their equality, diversity and inclusion policy
• Search their website to see if they have any specific staff networks
• Look for external accreditation such as whether they are a Disability Confident employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion or part of the Mindful Employer charter promoting mental health at work
• Check to see if they are partnering with organisations such as Rare Recruitment, SEO London, MyPlus Students' Club, EmployAbility or one of the many other organisations that are working for specific communities
• Explore what they do to celebrate diversity on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

The public sector is particularly known for its policies and attitude in recruiting and providing substantial career paths for individuals, regardless of their background. 

The UK Equality Act 2010 has a number of protected characteristics to prevent discrimination due to your age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation. For further information visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s webpage on the Equality Act  and the Government’s webpages on discrimination.