Ministers have launched a new apprenticeship scheme which aims to encourage more school leavers into the civil service.
The Careeer Launch Apprenticeship, which is now open for applications, will be limited to school leavers aged 16 and over who haven’t been to university. Candidates will also need at least two GCSEs at grades 9-4/A-C or equivalent and must pass security vetting checks relevant to all employment positions.
Successful applicants to the scheme will get a two-year contract to work in the civil service while completing a level-three apprenticeship, equivalent to two A-levels. Apprentices, who will work at administrative officer grade, will get dedicated support and be given time to complete the training alongside their day job in the civil service.
The scheme will offer around 50 roles across three locations – Birmingham, Manchester and London – which applicants will be able to choose between. There is also “an ambition for more roles and locations to be available in the future”.
The Cabinet Office said this means “young people from across the country won’t need to move to London to work in the civil service”.
A range of departments will take part in the scheme, including the Department for Business and Trade, Ministry of Justice and Cabinet Office. Apprentices will earn at least £23,512 per year.
Announcing the scheme, Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “We’re creating new ways for young people around the country to kickstart a career in the civil service so it reflects the people it serves.
“I want the most talented to join the civil service – whether they’ve been to university or not. This apprenticeship scheme is an opportunity to make that happen.”
The deadline for applications is 17 September. Interview are due to take place in October, with successful candidates to be notified by the end of November, before pre-employment checks and security vetting take place. Candidates will then be onboarded into their civil service department from December, ahead of the formal start of the apprenticeship learning in early 2026.
The move follows the announcement earlier this month that the government’s internship scheme would be limited to applicants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, which received mixed feedback.