Internship Programme UK

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ContentsWelcome to the Civil Service p.03What is the Fast Stream? p.04

The Summer Diversity Internship Programme p.05

What can I expect? p.06

What will I get in return? p.07

Profles p.08

The Coaching/Development Programme p.12Application and selection process p.14


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Welcome to the Civil ServiceThe Civil Service is responsible or ormulating central government policy, and or implementing it by providing

services direct to the public. It is made up o around 430,000 people working in a large number o governmentdepartments and agencies.

These 430,000 civil servants have a direct impact on all walks o lie. They deliver support and benets to thosewho need them; help jobseekers nd work or retrain or new careers; support armers and sheries, industry andmanuacturing; provide vital support or our armed orces or wherever we are trying to prevent confict; and representthe UK in missions overseas by promoting UK industry, attracting investment in the UK and helping UK citizens in distressabroad. They oversee the police and judicial systems and control our borders; they are responsible or schools andeducation, or setting health service priorities, or our railways, roads and air services. They regulate some o the biggest

industries that aect everyones lives and they help build cohesive communities. They manage our taxation system,support small businesses and promote our economy and jobs. And at the highest levels, they work to respond to climatechange, counter terrorism, and manage the impact o the global economy.

Civil servants are administrators and policy makers, and are the people who deliver crucial services directly to thepublic. But they can also be economists, statisticians, researchers, scientists, engineers, HR proessionals or expertsin technology, to name a ew.

One way to gain an insight into the diverse range o opportunities across the Civil Service is on our Fast StreamSummer Diversity Internship Programme. You will be able to decide i making a dierence to peoples lives,

and the Civil Service are really or you. And we will be able to see i you have what it takes to be a high perormingFast Streamer who is able to bring your ideas and apply them in the real world. So two months on the internshipprogramme could change your lie.

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What is the Fast Stream?The Civil Service Fast Stream is the graduate talent management programme or people who have the potential

to become the uture leaders o the Civil Service. It is ranked among the top ten o the Times Top 100Graduate Employers.

One key reason or the programmes popularity is that it enables graduates to bring innovative solutions to someo the biggest issues acing society today. Whether in employment or education, the environment or the economy,Fast Streamers can have a real impact on lie in the UK and beyond.

As well as giving you the opportunity to work at the heart o current aairs and key government agendas, theprogramme will see you engaging directly with the public and helping to provide high-quality services or peoplerom diverse communities and backgrounds.

Throughout your career with us, youll be leading, building relationships, innovating and making key decisions,and youll nd yoursel intellectually stretched every step o the way.

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The Fast Stream Summer Diversity

Internship ProgrammeThe Civil Service Summer Diversity Internship Programme or ethnic minority and,now, those rom under-represented socio-economic backgrounds was establishedover ten years ago with the aim o providing high calibre undergraduates/graduateswith a 6-9 weeks training work placement within government departments.

The key objectives o the programme are around development and providing trainingand support to students, give them an opportunity to raise their career aspirationsand increase awareness o the Civil Service as an employer o choice.

The programme is a perect way to gain real-lie experience o how departmentsunction, policy areas they are responsible or and how their work impacts on thepublic. The schemes will help you make an inormed choice about whether you aresuited to the Civil Service and are generally motivated by the work.

I joined the Summer Diversity Internship Programme in July 2012or six weeks, working with the Libya Team at the Foreign andCommonwealth Ofce. The internship oered great levels oresponsibility, allowing me to make a genuine impact on extremely

important issues. It stretched me, and hence helped me to developa wide range o abilities, whilst also helping me to understandhow exactly the Civil Service works.

Sameer Agrawal 2012 intern

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What can I expect?The programme is generally between 6-9 weeks within a governmentdepartment with an allocated Fast Stream buddy and a scheme manageroverseeing the experience. Most interns start their placements at the endo June. Departments will be responsible or ensuring that you receive aninduction session which will provide you with a good overview o thedepartment you are placed in, the people who you will be working withand areas o work you are likely to be involved in.

Around that time, you will be invited to a Corporate Welcoming Receptionwhich will give you an overview o the programme and what to expectover the two months. You will also have an opportunity to meet with theHead o the Civil Service, other senior civil servants, line managers,Fast Streamers, ormer interns and interns who, like you, have also beensuccessul gaining entry onto the programme. You will also be invited to aClosing Reception which takes place in September to celebrate the internsachievements on the programme.

During your internship placement, you will be placed into Fast Streamlike posts where you will be involved in stretching and challenging project

related work rom research, supporting projects, assisting on policydocuments, shadowing senior civil servants and attending critical meetingswith senior advisors on major issues.

We, thereore, look or demonstrable team working skills, innovationand creativity, fexibility in working with people at varying levels andpace and strong motivation to make an impact on major policy issues.In addition, you must demonstrate a real interest in wanting to pursuea career in the Civil Service.

The SDIP programme exceeded my expectations. Based atthe Department or Education, I experienced lie as a civilservant working on communications or the exam resultsseason. I was mentored by a current Fast Streamer whoprovided me with invaluable counsel and was able to attendkey departmental presentations and meetings with seniorcivil servants including the Permanent Secretary on twooccasions. For those who are interested in current aairs,

how decisions aect us, issues acing the country and apassion to make a dierence, this is the perect opportunityto taste lie rom within and be able to play a small part inshaping a better uture or all.

Kawsar Zaman 2012 intern

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What will I get in return?You will receive a training allowance o 350 per week i you are basedin London or 300 i you are based outside o London. In addition, yourexpenses will be paid or attending our corporate events Opening andClosing Receptions.

Apart rom orming lasting riendships with other interns, you will alsohave access to a wide range o people Fast Streamers, line mangersand senior leaders, who will be able to provide you with additional supportand advice during and post your placement. You will receive a Trainee

Guidance booklet which outlines all you need to know about the internship;you will also be able to record on a weekly basis activities/projects youhave been involved in and what you have learnt. At the end o yourplacement, you will receive an appraisal report on your perormanceduring your placement which can be used as a reerence in uture jobopportunities or as a way o helping you to continuously improve orenhance your skills and experience.

During your two month internship placement, you will learn a greatdeal about the Civil Service and the wide range o career opportunitiesavailable should you wish to pursue a proessional career in theCivil Service.

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Profles

Qiraat GhoryI was studying Politics and International Studies at WarwickUniversity and wanted a career related to politics; thus the CivilService and the Fast Stream were well worth taking a look into.I applied or the SDIP to see whether the Civil Service was acareer I was suited to. I was surprised by how dynamic andvaried an organisation it was.

Being a emale o Pakistani heritage and not a product o the

public school and Oxbridge the internship appealed to mebecause o its emphasis on diversity.

I took part in the SDIP at the end o my second year at universityand was placed at the Department or Children, Schools andFamilies (now the Department or Education) in the Contact Pointpolicy team. I was tasked with really varied work and quicklyhad to become an expert on my teams policy area as I wasdealing with correspondence rom MPs, tracking parliamentary

questions, attending meetings with stakeholders and presentingto senior ocials. There was certainly no chance o me beingthe summer dogsbody that you might expect an interns role

to turn into!

The Department also arranged events or the internsincluding visits to Parliament and the Cabinet Oce, but toget the most out o the internship you really have to try and

create opportunities or yoursel. With my line managersagreement I shadowed ocials in dierent parts o theDepartment and making the most o being close toParliament I arranged to attend a ew Select Committees.

My line manager was a Fast Streamer and by workingclosely with her and meeting other Fast Streamers I couldenvisage what a career in the Fast Stream would be like.By the end o the internship I was convinced I should apply or

the Fast Stream. I was ortunate to have got a place on thecoaching programme and ater a challenging selection process

I got a place on the Fast Stream and joined the Departmentor Education in 2010.

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Ramesh DeonarineIt wasnt until Ramesh ound out about the Summer

Diversity Internship Programme, while doing an Economicsconversion course at Queen Mary London, that Rameshslong and winding career path looked like it was leadingto a place on the Civil Service Fast Stream.

He explains: I did my rst degree in Mathematics atImperial College. I achieved a 2:1 but no idea o whatto do next so I proceeded to teach English as a oreignlanguage in London and in Italy until I returned to thequestion o what career to choose. It was doing the

internship that persuaded me nally to do an MSc inEconomics at LSE and apply or the Economist Fast Stream.

Ramesh did his placement with the Ministry o Deence,where he helped to redesign part o their intranet site.What was it about the internship that proved sopersuasive? I think the main barrier or me applying tothe Fast Stream had been that I thought I wasnt goodenough or that kind o job. Doing the internship dispelled

that idea. In week one, my task was to give deadlinesto management heads and chase up late responses.So much authority so soon!

In addition, the training and mentoring I received onmy placement helped me to build condence in therecruitment process I would need to go through to getonto the Fast Stream. There was hal a day o trainingor all interns to amiliarise themselves with the process.

We practised the group activities, and had talks rommembers o the recruitment team as well as currentFast Streamers.

Im very glad I was able to do my internship, and stillknow and keep in contact with other people romthe scheme.

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Stephen CorkIm a History graduate rom Royal HollowayCollege, University o London and my internshipwas spent working or the Department or Workand Pensions (DWP). I joined the Summer DiversityInternship Programme in July and went on or 10weeks (thanks to an extension) and I was based inLondon during this time. Within DWP, I was placedin the oce o the Director or State Pensions andStakeholder Relations.

Initially I was set to work on writing two reports

and drating an induction pack, all o whichrelated to Learning & Development goals withinthe Strategy, Inormation and Pensions (SIP) clientgroup. This work involved a large quantity oresearch and analysis, ollowed up by a serieso interviews with employees who had just joinedthe department. This was then ollowed by anextension to my placement which involved the

setting up o workshops or training eedbackon behal o the Human Resources team.

The internship was extremely satisying becauseo the independence and responsibility that I wasgiven. For example, the induction pack is nowbeing provided or all new starters within thepensions area o SIP. The act that I had controlover the direction o my work coupled with theimpact that it has had, has meant that I have beenable to take away rom this placement a greatlyenhanced understanding o the Civil Service andthe potential work that Fast Streamers deal with,along with a ar greater condence in mycapabilities regarding such work.

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Ruth MalarkyI applied and was delighted to be acceptedonto the Summer Diversity Internship Programmebetween my third and ourth years studyingInternational Relations at the University oSt Andrews. My internship lasted or 6 weeks,during July and August, where I was placed atthe Scottish Executive in Edinburgh.

While at the Scottish Executive, I worked on threedierent projects. I undertook research or theworking group on Scotland Without Nuclear

Weapons, ocusing on what opportunities existedwhere Scotland could be a orce or peace inthe world. I was also tasked with editing a newwebsite: Scotland Perorms. Finally I gatheredinormation about how Finland, Sweden andJapan meet their energy needs without using ossiluels. This was part o a larger project looking atways Scotland could reduce its reliance on ossil

uels as a main energy source. I loved the diversityo work I did and that I was given space to usemy own initiative.

The main way in which this internship changedmy lie was that it encouraged me to apply orthe Fast Stream as a result o the support andadvice I received whilst on the coachingprogramme. I was successul and began myFast Stream career in early September at the

Scottish Executive. Prior to my internship, I waskeen to work in Whitehall. However, duringthe course o my time at the Scottish ExecutiveI realised there was also great potential orFast Streamers in devolved administrations.

I believe the benets o doing an internshipto be numerous. Mainly, it is a great way tosee how organisations work, and a great way

to make contacts and get a eel or the cultureo an organisation beore going through theapplication process. A urther benet is thatit is an excellent addition to ones CV.

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Coaching programmeA development/coaching programme has been introduced or interns already on the internship programmewho are interested in applying to the Fast Stream programme in the same recruitment year; they must be intheir penultimate or nal year o university to be considered or the programme. The coaching programmeis designed to stretch, support, build condence and allay ears o the assessment process.

Expectations:Successul candidates will receive bespoke, one-to-one and group coaching on interview technique,presentation, test taking and writing skills and much more. Each candidate will receive almost twenty-vehours o personal coaching during the programme.

Candidates who are interested will be invited to go through a selection and assessment process to securea place on the coaching programme.

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The application and selection processWe welcome interns rom a range o disciplines. We look or demonstrated team working skills,

innovation and creativity, fexibility in working with people at varying levels and pace and strongmotivation. Some o our placements look or people who have an economics degree or are currentlystudying economics (or a joint degree where 50% o their course modules are in economics) or theirdegree contains some statistical content.

The internship programme is open to students in their penultimate or nal year at university. The programmeis or those rom ethnic minority and lower socio-economic backgrounds.

To apply to the Summer Diversity Internship Programmes, please visit the Fast Stream website:http://aststream.civilservice.gov.uk/Summer-Diversity-Internships/Home/

The website will also provide details o the application deadlines.You should be predicted or have achieved, at least a 2:2 in any degree discipline to apply.

Please visit the Fast Stream website or urther inormation on nationality and immigration requirements.

To nd out about other Civil Service opportunities, please visit www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs

The internship provided me with the opportunity to learn more about the Civil Servicefrst-hand, to network extensively with Civil Servants and ellow interns and to really makea tangible impact through the projects I was set It boosted my confdence and motivation

in applying to the Fast Stream and I would recommend it to anyone.

Daniyal Aslam 2012 intern

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Useul website addresses or background research:

www.civilservice.gov.uk/aststream

www.civilservice.gov.uk/ges

www.civilservice.gov.uk/hrwww.statistics.gov.uk/gssjobs

www.civilservice.gov.uk/tib

www.civilservice.gov.uk/gsr

http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm

Cabinet Ofce: www.cabinetoce.gov.uk

Department or Business, Innovation and Skills: www.bis.gov.uk

Department or Education: www.education.gov.uk

Department or Communities and Local Government: www.communities.gov.uk

Department or Culture, Media and Sport: www.culture.gov.uk

Department o Energy and Climate Change: www.decc.gov.uk

Department or Environment, Food and Rural Aairs: ww2.dera.gov.uk

Department or International Development: www.dd.gov.uk

Department or Transport: www.dt.gov.uk

Department or Work and Pensions: www.dwp.gov.uk

Department o Health: www.dh.gov.uk

Foreign and Commonwealth Ofce (or the Diplomatic Service): www.co.gov.uk

HM Revenue and Customs: www.hmrc.gov.uk

HM Treasury: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Home Ofce: www.homeoce.gov.uk

Houses o Parliament: www.parliament.ukMinistry o Deence: www.mod.uk

Ministry o Justice: www.justice.gov.uk

Northern Ireland Civil Service: www.nicsrecruitment.gov.uk

Ofce o Government Commerce: www.ogc.gov.uk

Scottish Government: www.scotland.gov.uk

Welsh Assembly Government: http://wales.gov.uk/

For other Civil Service opportunities visit www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs

Internship Programme UK

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