An overhaul of Civil Service training is being launched today
that will equip civil servants with the skills and knowledge to
deliver the best possible public services, become less reliant on
expensive external consultants, and build back stronger, fairer,
safer and greener.
The plans are part of the government’s transformation
programme.
The new Curriculum and Campus for Government Skills will
transform training and development for civil servants from the
core knowledge needed at the beginning of their career through
to specialist training in areas such as economics, data usage,
the physical sciences, and constitutional issues.
The new training offer will also develop in-house Civil Service
expertise, ultimately allowing government to rely less on
expensive consultants saving taxpayers money.
As well as the thousands of civil servants across the UK, the
curriculum will also offer induction training for new
ministers.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said:
“We must make the most of the amazing talent that we have in
such abundance in the Civil Service and that means ensuring
civil servants across the UK are equipped with the right skills
and can develop deep knowledge of the areas they work in.
“For too long training has been focussed on the latest
management jargon and ignored specialist knowledge.
“The New Curriculum and Campus for Government Skills will
transform our approach to training and deliver better public
services for families across the UK.”
Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service Alex Chisholm
said:
“This new curriculum and learning campus will better target
training in key areas, as well as focus on building up
technical and vocational skills.
“It will help us to maximise the outstanding talent in the
Civil Service, providing more opportunities for civil servants
at every level to develop and progress their careers.”
The new curriculum is divided into five complementary strands,
providing training in a range of areas including:
By the end of the year, it is expected that thousands of civil
servants will have taken part in the training, with courses
ranging from initial induction to working in Government up to
line management training and specialist courses.
The new curriculum will also better induct staff who are new to
the civil service. A pass/fail assessment pilot will be
established, with the aim of giving managers the assurance
about a new start’s capabilities, providing a ‘license to
practice’.
The campus will initially be based online. As part of the
programme we are looking at potentially partnering with
existing public sector centres of excellence, like the Royal
Military Academy Sandhurst.
Other initiatives include the potential for a College for
National Security and a Service Delivery Academy. The College
of National Security will improve skills and access to
expertise for individuals working in defence, security and
foreign policy and strategy areas. The College will also work
with universities and other sectors so that civil servants can
better utilise wider expertise in this area.
Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic training sessions will be held
virtually to begin with, but in-person sessions will be
developed for use in the future.
The new curriculum will replace the current training system
across government, which features a mix of centralised core
skills and individually commissioned training programmes held
in every department.
The new system will lead to the development of more rigorous
standards for training across the whole of Government, reduce
the risk of duplication in training and learning, and offer
better value for money.
