Internship scheme to get more working class students into civil service

• Students from lower-income backgrounds to get paid government placements.

• Programme to support the recruitment of more working class youngsters into Civil Service so it better reflects the people it serves.

• The government is taking action to break down barriers to opportunity through its Plan for Change.

Students from working class backgrounds are set to benefit from a Summer Internship Programme that will be launched to boost social mobility in the Civil Service. 

The scheme will give talented undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to see what a career in the Civil Service is like. 

Currently, applicants from lower socio economic backgrounds are less likely to get a place on the Fast Stream. This is a first step towards changing that, as the government works to ensure the Civil Service better reflects the country it serves.

Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 

“We need to get more working class young people into the Civil Service so it harnesses the broadest range of talent and truly reflects the country. Government makes better decisions when it represents and understands the people we serve. 

“I want to open up opportunities for students from all backgrounds, and in every corner of the UK, so they can take a leading role at the heart of government as we re-wire the state and deliver the Plan for Change.”

The programme will give roughly 200 undergraduates the opportunity to work in a Civil Service department for two months, acting as a stepping stone to a fulfilling career in the Civil Service post-university. 

Undergraduates on the programme, which is paid, will get experience that could include planning events, writing briefings for ministers, shadowing senior civil servants and carrying out research for policy development.

Those on the scheme will get access to tailored support, including being allocated a “buddy” who is a current Fast Streamer and getting access to skills sessions. Participants who perform well will be fast-tracked to the final stages of the Fast Stream selection process if they decide to apply for a job after graduation.

The scheme will open for applications in October with the first cohort starting in summer 2026. The government is taking action seeking to break down barriers to opportunity through its Plan for Change. 

The move is the latest change to deliver greater diversity in the Civil Service and make it more representative of the people it serves. Earlier this year the Government launched a new Career Launch apprenticeship scheme targeted at young people and school leavers. It also announced a new ambition for the Fast Stream programme to have 50% of placements offered outside of London by 2030,

The Fast Stream is the Civil Service's highly regarded graduate scheme, which regularly features at the top of the Times Top 100 Graduate list each year. It offers high potential graduates an accelerated route to senior leadership positions in Government.