Civil Service

There are a range of schemes available to graduates, aiding to your personal and professional development. You’ll be working with some of the most able minds in the country. The sheer diversity of the projects and issues that you’ll be exposed to makes this one of the most sophisticated learning environments around. You’ll make the most of every opportunity - acknowledging your own development needs and then setting about creating opportunities for learning.

Professional Entry Routes:

Government Actuary's Department

The Government Actuary's Department provides an actuarial consultancy service to the public sector.

To apply to the department's Graduate trainee actuaries specialist scheme you need a 2:1 ideally in mathematics, statistics or economics. If your degree is not mathematics-based, you must have a good A-level in mathematics. 

Government Economic Service

The Government Economic Service (GES) is the UK’s largest recruiter of economists with over 1000 professionals in more than 30 departments and agencies. The GES can therefore give you access to a wide variety of economist career options. Click here for more information about the Government Economic Service. Government Finance Service The Finance Professionalism Team in HM Treasury supports Jon Thompson, Head of the Government Finance Profession, in embedding the professional finance culture across government.

The work of the Government Finance Profession (GFP) is varied and covers areas ranging from accounts production to system development, competition regulation in BERR, investigating tax evasion in the HM Revenue and Customs, to providing advice on departments' spending in the Treasury. The GFP has over 8,500 Finance Professionals, split equally between trainee and fully qualified accountants, and is the largest professional grouping in central government and it is growing all the time.

There are various opportunities for graduates to work and train as a Finance Professional with different government departments.

Government Legal Service

GLS lawyers advise the Government on complex, novel and politically sensitive issues, often concerned with the most high profile events of the day. The quality and variety of legal work is unique to Government practice. The career opportunities are diverse; and the range of benefits includes training and professional development; flexible working arrangements and much more!

The GLS recruits legal trainees through its legal trainee scheme and qualified lawyers at any stage of their career.

E-mail: glsqualified@tmpw.co.uk (qualified lawyer enquiries); glstrainees@tmpw.co.uk (legal trainee scheme enquiries)

For further information, visit the GLS website www.gls.gov.uk

Social Research service

Government social researchers are responsible for research that informs the development, implementation and evaluation of a wide range of government policies. Members of the Government Social Research service (GSR) are based in 20 government departments and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Collectively, they form the membership of the GSR.

Career opportunities are diverse within the service, with plenty of scope for moving between departments and to work on different policy areas within departments.

To find out more about the the GSR, visit their website www.gsr.gov.uk

Government Statistical Service

The Government Statistical Service (GSS) is the UK's largest provider of statisticians, with over 1200 professionals in more than 30 different departments and agencies, making valued input to every major government activity. The statistics they create - and often publish - are used to monitor, formulate and amend government policy. These statisticians also collect and analyse data, and then interpret it before explaining their findings to ministers and administrators.

Government IT Profession

The Government IT Profession is the largest profession in Government and brings together IT professionals working across the public sector. Our goal is to drive excellence in IT through the pursuit of professionalism, by focusing on developing the capability of individuals and by deploying such capability effectively across the public sector. This pursuit aims to ensure the highest standards in the delivery of Government IT, that will ultimately enable both citizens and businesses to get what they need, when they need it, how they want it.

The Technology in Business Faststream is a graduate entry route for senior Civil Service careers. It will provide us with our next generation of leaders: women and men fully capable of bringing about positive, large–scale business change in the public sector.

For more information go to: www.cio.gov.uk/itprofession/faststream/index.asp.

Government Operational Research Service 

The government demands an increased use of analysis and modelling to support its Modernising Government initiative, and GORS is key to this by assisting in developing policies. The GORS scheme is open to graduates with a 2:1; however, those with a 2:2 can also apply if they have a postgraduate degree or substantial relevant experience.

To find out more about GORS, visit their website: www.operational-research.gov.uk

Government Procurement Service (GPS)

Government procurement is seriously big business. From the everyday to the extraordinary, ergonomic seats to tilting trains, we buy a staggering range of goods and services. And we go into every deal, every transaction, every negotiation with one thing in mind: getting the best value for the UK taxpayer. So our graduate scheme won’t just give you a far-reaching insight into the commercial world and a CIPS qualification. It will also prepare you for an immensely varied and challenging business career at the heart of government.

Find out more at www.bigprocurement.co.uk

Defence Engineering and Science Group Student and Graduate Schemes

The MOD recruits engineering and science graduates into the Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG). The DESG is a community of 9,000 professional civilian engineers and scientists working within MOD Civil Service to equip and support UK Armed Forces with state of the art technology.

The prestigious DESG Graduate Scheme has been held in high regard throughout industry for almost thirty years. The Scheme is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and the Royal institute of Naval Architects (RINA) and offers an accelerated route to professional registration as a Chartered Engineer. The DESG Schemes include opportunities for students and graduates:

The DESG Graduate Scheme – This scheme is open to final year students. The graduate scheme consists of up to two years of structured training, leading to the first professional post.

The DESG student sponsorship scheme – This scheme sponsors student engineers and scientists enrolled on a relevant accredited degree course for the duration of their degree. A bursary is paid annually and the students are required to undertake paid placements during the summer vacation relevant to their professional development. Sponsorship can be obtained during the first year at university or mid-course.

The Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS) – This Scheme offers sponsorship to a limited number of students commencing or part way through an approved science or engineering degree at Aston, Loughborough, Newcastle, Northumbria or Southampton universities. DTUS is similar to the student sponsorship scheme, but is designed to develop leadership and team working skills alongside the British Armed Forces and a deeper understanding of the military environment.

The Defence Sixth Form College, Welbeck – The College has become one of the UK’s top sixth form colleges with an outstanding academic reputation. Welbeck teaches a science and technology based A-level curriculum designed to prepare students for a technical degree at a leading UK university, providing a head start into training for a career as an Officer within the Armed Forces or MOD Civil Service.

If you are interested in any of the DESG Schemes, please visit the DESG website: www.desg.mod.uk

Given the civil Service is such a complex and diverse organisation, we have a number of different graduate schemes designed to suit your needs best.

Nationality Requirements

You can apply for any post in the Civil Service as long as you’re a UK national or have dual nationality with one part being British. In addition, about 75% of Civil Service posts are open to Commonwealth citizens and nationals of any of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA). The remainder, which require special allegiance to the state, are reserved for UK nationals.

Under the EC Treaty, where an EEA national of another member state has a right of residence in the UK and is employed or self-employed, or in receipt of services, in the UK, then certain non-EEA family members have the right of residence here and hence the right to take employment, including in the Civil Service. Similarly, where the EEA national has a right of residence in the UK in a non-economically active category (i.e. as a vocational student, retired person, or a self-sufficient person), then certain non-EEA family members have the right to take employment. These rights do not extend to non-EEA family members of a UK national except in very limited circumstances where the UK national has returned to the UK, in the exercise of a Treaty right, after having exercised Treaty rights in an economically active capacity in another member state, and is accompanied or being joined by a non-EEA family member. The categories of family member are: the EEA national’s spouse; a descendant of the EEA national or the spouse who is under 21 years of age or is their dependant; and a dependent relative in the ascending line of the EEA national or the spouse.

Applicants with dual nationality will be eligible for non-reserved posts provided that one part meets the nationality requirements. When applying, you will be asked about your nationality at birth, whether you are subject to immigration control, and whether there are any restrictions on your continued residence or employment in the UK.

Please refer to the Civil Service Nationality Requirements for more detailed information on the nationality rules.

UK National

UK national is as defined in the UK declaration on nationality for EC purposes made with effect from 1 January 1983. This comprises: British citizens, British subjects under Part IV of the British Nationality Act 1981 having the right of abode in the UK, and British Overseas Territories citizens. The Declaration also notes the reference, in connection with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, that “any citizen of the UK and Colonies” is to be understood as referring to “any British citizen”.

Nationals of the European Economic Area

The European Economic Area comprises the member states of the European Community (EC) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). The EC Member States (besides the UK) are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. The EFTA Member States are Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Although Switzerland is not part of the EEA, and Swiss nationals are not EEA nationals, the EU-Swiss Agreement (1 June 2002) confers upon Swiss nationals many of the same rights as are enjoyed by EEA nationals and their family members, including employment in the Civil Service in non-reserved posts.

Commonwealth Citizens

Commonwealth citizens means any person who has the status of a Commonwealth citizen under the British Nationality Act 1981. This includes: British citizens; British subjects with the right of abode in the UK (this generally applies to people who were born before 1 January 1949 and who had a connection with either British India or the Republic of Ireland); British Overseas Territories citizens (i.e. people who obtained their citizenship from a connection with a territory which remains a British dependency, e.g. Gibraltar, Bermuda); British Overseas Citizens (i.e. people who have a connection with a former British colony, for example, Kenya, who did not become either citizens of that country when it became independent or British citizens);  a national of a country listed in Schedule 3 of the British Nationality Act 1981. (i.e Australia, New Zealand, Canada. Note: The list of countries in Schedule 3 at any time may not accurately reflect the countries actually within the Commonwealth at that time); a further category was added in 1986 under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order: British National (Overseas). This applies to former British Dependent Territories citizens connected with Hong Kong.