Civil Service Fast-stream What to expect & How to apply

The Civil Service

• The Civil Service serves the Government of the day, developing and implementing policy, and delivering services to the public • Politically neutral and remains unchanged when the Government changes • Around 490,000 civil servants working around the UK and abroad in over 100 departments and agencies • Working for the Civil Service means you are shaping how the country is run, and affecting the lives of everyone in the UK

The Civil Service Faststream

• Accelerated training and development programme for those with the potential to become future leaders of the Civil Service • Sequence of postings (12-18mths), usually in one department, to develop skills and experience • Typically spend 2-4 years on Faststream • Leave when promoted to Team Leader level • Ranked in the top 5 of the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers

Faststream schemes

• Graduate Fast Stream – Central Departments (vast majority) – European Fast Stream – Houses of Parliament – Science and Engineering – Diplomatic Service • Also specialist schemes for Economists, Statisticians, HR and Technology in Business • Can apply to more than one scheme at once

Faststream advantages

• Challenging work • Immediate responsibility and autonomy • Close contact with senior civil servants • Often work with Ministers • Management of people and resources • Fast-paced responsive work • Broad range of experience • Valuable network of contacts • Excellent training anddevelopment

What will you be doing?

• Your Faststream career will be unique, depending on your interests, skills and experience, your department, and world events… • Three main types of posts: – Developing policy (policy delivery) – Delivering public services (operational delivery) – Corporate operations (finance, HR, Press…) • Tasks will change rapidly – must be adaptable • Some examples…

Ramin Hassan

Department for Work and Pensions • Two years of policy work, currently working as an Advisory Services Manager at Cambridge Jobcentre Plus.

• Manages around 30 staff delivering front-line services and administrative support.

• Time is the main challenge for operations managers; balancing short term needs, against measures to improve longer term performance “Since joining the Civil Service, in August 2007, I have helped prepare Ministers and senior officials for appearances before Parliament, represented the UK at the UN on labour issues and now manage a large number of public-facing staff. The Fast Stream provides many such privileged opportunities in close succession, alongside generous training allowances.”

Charlene Woolley

HMRC • First placement in Customs & International Directorate - helped to implement the recommendations of the Cabinet Office report 'Security in a Global Hub' • Currently working on facilitating the transfer of staff, assets and budgets to UKBA.

"I have watched key legislation relating to the project being debated in Lords. I have contributed to inter departmental agreements, and had the opportunity to discuss changes with affected operational staff. I also regularly participate in director-level meetings".

Ayesha Ali

Department for Transport • Economic appraisal of major rail projects • Impact assessments of EU related policies • Constant engagement with colleagues from policy and others from the rail industry. “ Transport policy is an every day decision for people. This makes my work challenging but very rewarding when I see my ideas translate into everyday living

”.

Development

• Development focused on your needs • 15+ days of training per year – both to gain skills for the job and to gain wider personal skills • Opportunity for a mentor from Senior Civil Service • Opportunity for secondments to other Departments and Civil Service organisations, and externally, to gain wider experience • You need to continually learn and improve

Benefits

• Competitive starting salary of £25,000 – £27,000, and choice of generous pension • 25+ days holiday and 10.5 public holidays (2.5 extra) • Supportive environment – flexible working, job shares, career breaks • Opportunity for regional and international jobs • Real benefits are the work itself • Each department determines detailed terms and conditions for its Faststreamers

Career

• Civil Service is a professional and rewarding long-term career choice • Fast Stream develops you for the Senior Civil Service • Core competencies: – analysis and use of evidence – financial management – people management – project and programme management • Promotion on performance and competence – so need drive to gain breadth and depth of skills and experience

Application, selection & eligibility

• Need a 2:2 degree in any discipline for general scheme, other scheme requirements may vary • Majority of jobs open to European Economic Area and Commonwealth citizens; some UK national only jobs • Assessors have no background on candidates – committed to improving diversity, no discrimination

Application and selection

• Starts in September with online verbal and numerical reasoning self-assessment • Half day e-tray exercise • One day assessment centre (group exercise, policy exercises, and interview) • Merit based assessment of: – drive for results – learning and improving – decision-making – constructive thinking – building productive relationships – communicating with impact • Process may vary for other schemes

Next steps

• Need to be able to give examples as evidence of competency at assessment centre • Seek to gain wider experience before applying – internships and temporary jobs, other activities • Information on main stream recruitment and other Civil Service graduate schemes at

www.civilservice.gov.uk

• More information on the Fast Stream at

www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream

Any questions?

Thank you