Government Services

A career in Government services is particularly exciting, as you can be at the forefront of public policy and make a real difference to lives of people across the UK, there are over 5.5 million people working for Government across the UK. There are plenty of opportunities within Government and they can all be slightly different, whether you’re interested in central government, regional government or even local government.

Central government and the civil service is organised into departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Departments are headed by a minister or senior civil servant and include Department for Work & Pensions, Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Defence, to name a few.

A Government agency is an organisation within government that is responsible for the oversight or administration of specific functions within Government. This includes a broad range of agencies including: the Rural Payments Agency (who deal with farmers and traders in England), the Skills Funding Agency (who deals with funding education and skills for children, young people and adults), Forestry England and HM Prison Service among many others.

A public body is an organisation which is publicly funded to deliver a service by the Government. This includes organisations such as Arts Council England and Public Health England.

Local Government is a collection of local authorities. This is a network of county and district councils who implement the policies set by central government.

What options can I take for a career in government services?

Work Experience

Work experience is invaluable if you’d like to start your career within government services. With so many roles, departments, agencies and public bodies to choose from, it can help you work out where your interest lies and pick up transferable skills too. Many organisations including the NHS, local authorities and departments offer short internships and work experience over the summer holidays for you to get your foot in the door. Getting this work experience, will show employers that you’re committed to a career within government and that your driven!

Want to know what apprenticeships are all about? We have you covered!

Apprenticeships

If you want to start an apprenticeship within Government, there are plenty of options for you to combine work experience with great qualifications. This means you’ll be earning a salary while getting the qualifications that some people will not have the opportunity to obtain until they graduate or until later in their professional careers. If you’re looking for a government apprenticeship, make sure you look at central government, agencies and local government as they will all be looking for different people to join their teams in many different roles, from HR and marketing through to management and civil engineering!

Degree Apprenticeships

There are plenty of degree apprenticeships available in within Government. Not only would a degree apprenticeship give you the relevant qualification to pursue a successful career in this industry, but you will also gain the practical experience that is highly sought after by employers in the field. You’ll be working alongside experience colleagues and putting your theoretical knowledge into practice, all whilst earning a salary. There are lots of apprenticeships where you could gain a degree within government, including technology, management and even surveying!

Is a degree apprenticeship up your street? We’ll help you know!

University

If you choose to go to university, you’ll be learning the theoretical knowledge that you can apply into your working life! If you’re looking to go into the government services, you won’t have to choose a specific course for government as a lot of the skills you gain will be transferable, unless you’re particularly interested in a specific part of government. For example, if you’d like a marketing career within the government series, it may be beneficial to do a marketing degree. Some degrees also offer placement years so you can get experience within Government and impress your future employers with the practical skills you’ve learnt from the workplace.

Want to find out what University could offer you? We have your back!

Graduate Jobs

If you’ve already achieved your degree and you have decided that a career in government is for you, a graduate scheme may be an excellent entry point into a company you’d like to work for, as many employers offer full-time employment to their recruits once their training has been completed. One of the most famous graduate schemes is the Civil Service, however there are a lot of opportunities across the government departments, agencies and public bodies that could be suited to you!

Want to know what graduate jobs are all about? We can help!