Careers in the Public Sector Jenny Keaveney Careers

Careers in the Public Sector Jenny Keaveney Careers Advisory Service

WHAT IS THE PUBLIC SECTOR? • • • Civil Service Government agencies Local authorities NHS Armed forces Emergency services Educational bodies Intelligence services Regulatory bodies • Lots of initials! Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø GCHQ ECGD DFID CPS FCO DEFRA DWP ONS ngdp

WHO WANTS TO WORK IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR? • Lots of graduates! • In the latest Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, three of the Top 10 “employers of choice for graduates” are in the public sector. • Why?

HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR? • 41% of the working population of Canterbury • Total public sector employment was 6. 051 million in the second quarter of 2010, a decrease of 22, 000 (0. 4%) compared with the previous quarter. • Employment in central government decreased by 16, 000 (0. 6%) to 2. 590 million • Employment in local government decreased by 7, 000 (0. 2 %) to 2. 904 million. • During this period, employment in the Civil Service in Great Britain decreased by 5, 000 (0. 9 %) to 523, 000. http: //www. statistics. gov. uk/pdfdir/pse 0910. pdf

BIRMINGHAM POST www. birminghampost. net 11 October 2010 UNION WARNS OF A 'TSUNAMI' OF PUBLIC SECTOR JOB LOSSES A union has warned of a “tsunami” of job losses in the public sector as a growing number of workers received redundancy warnings even before the Government’s comprehensive spending review Latest warnings included 800 potential job cuts at Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and 500 in the London Borough of Havering on top of previous threats to thousands of jobs in areas including Birmingham, Sheffield, Walsall, Croydon and Dorset, said the GMB.

The Daily Telegraph www. telegraph. co. uk 25 May 2010 EMERGENCY RECRUITMENT FREEZE ACROSS CIVIL SERVICE Public sector managers face the biggest challenge "in living memory" to see through the Government's emergency recruitment freeze across the civil service, experts have warned. The ban on new recruitment, part of the Government's £ 6. 2 bn package of spending cuts, is likely to see at least 30, 000 jobs left unfilled this financial year

the guardian www. guardian. co. uk 15 October 2010 Government scraps 192 quangos The government today delivered its promised "bonfire of the quangos", abolishing 192 government agencies, merging another 118 and substantially reforming a further 171

THE GOOD NEWS PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYERS* ARE STILL RECRUITING! • Civil Service Fast Stream – recruiting now! • NGDP (local government) – recruiting now! • NOMS (Prison Service) – recruiting now! • Financial Services Authority – recruiting now! • Transport for London – recruiting now! • National Audit Office – recruiting now! • NHS “We are intending to have an intake to our Graduate Scheme this year” • London Treasurers' Graduate Finance Scheme – recruitment starts 1 st December * well, at least some of them

WHAT IS THE FAST STREAM? • “A Talent Management programme for graduates who have the potential to become the future leaders of the Civil Service” • The only centralised, all-graduate, recruitment scheme • Recruits approximately 550 high-calibre graduates into a number of generalist and specialist functions working on Government policy in their departments • Most vacancies based in London • Starting salary £ 25 -27 K

THE FAST STREAM • Graduate Fast Stream (Central Government departments, the Diplomatic Service, Houses of Parliament, Science and Engineering) • Analytical Fast Stream (economists, social researchers and statisticians) • • Technology in Business Fast Stream Human Resources Fast Stream European Fast Stream Northern Ireland Fast Stream Entry requirements: -UK, EEA or Commonwealth citizen (some posts more restrictive) -2. 2 minimum (most entrants have 2. 1) in any subject except where marked*

WHAT DO FAST-STREAM TRAINEES ACTUALLY DO? • Training is based on a series of 12 -18 month postings • Fast Streamers get early responsibility and have the opportunity of a wide range of jobs, often working directly with Ministers • They implement government policy, ensure enquiries unearth the facts and brainstorm new policies and their consequences • Recent examples of Fast Streamers’ work includes:

WHAT DO FAST-STREAM TRAINEES ACTUALLY DO? • “I manage a small team working on the FCO aspects of the UK’s Afghanistan communications strategy - delivering public information and outreach activities to help explain to people what the UK is doing to support the Afghan government” • “I led on the production of homelessness statistics, which involved working with a wide range of stakeholders and included paying visits to homeless shelters. ” • “I might be doing financial forecasting one day and explaining helmet safety measures to hairy bikers the next” • “It’s my job to promote electric cars. We negotiated a £ 250 m spending package to encourage consumers to buy the increasingly practical (and fast) range of electric cars that are coming onto the market” For more profiles see http: //faststream. civilservice. gov. uk/Fast-Streamer-Profiles/

WHAT DO FAST-STREAM TRAINEES ACTUALLY DO? • Whichever department you work for, you are also likely to be involved in: – Writing briefings, speeches and answers to Parliamentary questions for ministers – Analysing the structure and management of information systems – Project management – Co-ordinating activities and ensuring clear lines of communications

Essential competencies • Results-oriented • Flexible thinker • Decisive • Able to build productive relationships … • . . and to communicate with impact • Open to learning and improving How to Apply • Closing date for entry in Sept 2011 is 30 th November 2010 (the Analytical Fast Stream has already closed – may reopen in Feb. ) • • Self-assessment test Online application form E-tray exercise One-day assessment centre • http: //faststream. civilservice. gov. uk/How-do-I-apply/

LOCAL GOVERNMENT • There are 433 local councils in the UK – plus over 11, 000 town, parish and community councils • Local councils spend over £ 70 billion a year • Local government employs over two million people - one of the largest employers in the UK • There around 600 occupations and thousands of different job titles in local government

WHAT DO LOCAL AUTHORITIES DO? • • Education Environmental health Emergency services Highways Housing Leisure and tourism Social services

GETTING INTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT • National graduate recruitment scheme (ngdp) • Local graduate recruitment schemes (e. g. KCC) • Direct application

National Graduate Recruitment Programme • A two-year “Fast-Stream” style programme designed to develop future managers and leaders in local government • General management training through a range of placements across a local authority, plus mentoring and study for a PG diploma • Between 40 -50 local authorities in England & Wales participate – you only need to make one application • Requires 2. 1 minimum • Closing date 10 th January 2011 www. ngdp. co. uk • Starting salary £ 22958 (plus London weighting)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRADUATE SCHEMES IN KENT • Ashford, Canterbury and Medway councils have all recruited through ngdp in the past • Kent County Council runs its own Graduate Programme – Four streams: Management, IT/Computing, Finance and Transport

LOCAL GOVERNMENT KCC GRADUATE SCHEMES – Management, Finance, Transport & Development, Environment – Recruits in spring each year for an October start – Receives approx. 400 applications a year – Four six-month placements in different departments. Project work giving operational experience, policy writing experience, project management experience, budget management experience and experience of line management – Starting salary approx. £ 23000 in 2010 – http: //www. kent. gov. uk/jobs_and_careers/starting_your_career/ kent_graduate_programme. aspx

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OTHER ROUTES IN • Other local authorities recruiting outside the ngdp – check websites • Finance – see www. cipfa. org. uk/tv and www. financethefuture. co. uk • Direct application for advertised jobs

LOCAL GOVERNMENT USEFUL WEBSITES • • • www. lgcareers. com www. LGjobs. com www. Opportunities. co. uk www. jobsgopublic. com http: //jobs. guardian. co. uk/jobs/government

NHS GRADUATE SCHEMES • Four schemes: – General Management – Finance Management – Human Resources Management – Informatics Management • 2. 2 in any subject • Closing date was 14 December in 2009 • Starting salary approx. £ 22200 • www. nhsgraduates. co. uk

National Offender Management Services Prison Leaders programme Over this programme, you'll progress from Prison Officer into a middle management governor-grade role as an Operational Manager. Here you'll head up an entire area of a prison, such as Residence, where you'll take on responsibilities that include preventing suicide and selfharm and managing all the prisoners' living facilities. When you have completed your programme, usually after two to three years, you can apply for a managerial post. Closing date – December 2010 www. hmprisonservice. gov. uk/careersandjobs/prisonleaders/programmes/

Financial Services Authority • Graduate Development Programme (covers supervision, risk, policy, enforcement and financial crime, market monitoring and listings) • Management Accountancy programme • Actuarial Development Programme • Prudential Risk Specialist 2. 1 in any subject Closing date 25 November 2010 Starting salary £ 29000 www. fsagraduates. com

Transport for London • • Project & General Management Procurement Finance Information Management 2. 1 in any subject Closing dates vary – 11 November for Finance and Project Management http: //www. tfl. gov. uk/microsites/graduates/

National Audit Office • An independent body – not part of the Civil Service • Audits over 475 accounts across government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies • Publishes around 60 Value for Money reports a year for Parliament. Recent reports include: – – Financial Management in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office The health of livestock and honeybees in England Department for Work and Pensions: Communicating with customers Financial Management in the Department for Children, Schools and Families – HM Treasury: The nationalisation of Northern Rock – Improving road safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Great Britain

National Audit Office • Offers a Graduate Training Scheme leading to qualification as a chartered accountant • Open to graduates in any subject with 2. 1 and 300 UCAS points (or equivalent) • Must be a UK, Commonwealth, EEA or Swiss national • Closing date 31 March 2011 • www. nao. org. uk/graduate/home. aspx

OTHER GRADUATE SCHEMES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR • London Treasurers www. financethefuture. co. uk • Royal Mail www. royalmailgroup. com/portal/rmg/jump 2? cat. Id=23300556&media. Id=46600690 • Nuclear Graduates www. nucleargraduates. com Includes engineering, finance, HR, procurement, communications etc • Intelligence Services (MI 5, MI 6, etc) www. kent. ac. uk/careers/workin/intelligence. htm • Armed Forces www. kent. ac. uk/careers/workin/armedforces. htm

OTHER EMPLOYERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR • Emergency services • Prison and probation services • Housing associations • Educational institutions You might also want to look at • Charities • Trades unions www. kent. ac. uk/careers/workin. htm

FINDING OUT MORE • I Want to Work In … the Public Sector www. kent. ac. uk/careers/sitesgov. htm • TARGET Jobs Public Service http: //targetjobs. co. uk/publicservice • Prospects Public Administration links www. prospects. ac. uk/links/adminpub

Where to find the Careers Advisory Service Opening Hours: 9 -5, Mon - Fri