Details
Reference number
431290
Salary
£22,699
National Minimum - £22,699 / London minimum - £26,235. Please see attached job description pack for specific departmental salary information.
GBP
Job grade
Administrative Officer
Executive Officer
Contract type
Fixed term
Length of employment
12 months
Business area
Economics
Type of role
Analytical
Economist
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time
Number of jobs available
43
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Buxton, Darlington, Edinburgh, Fareham, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newport (Gwent), Pontypridd, Sheffield, Wolverhampton
About the job
Job summary
Are you an economics undergraduate in your penultimate year? Do you want to see the theory you have learned come to life? Join the UK Government for a paid student placement that connects your skills to meaningful change.
The Government Economic Service (GES) offers the opportunity to spend a year collaborating with experienced economists in a government department before returning to your studies. You'll be doing work that shapes real policies, supporting decisions that will touch millions of lives, and preparing briefings that reach the highest levels of government. Your insights and understanding will genuinely matter.
Job description
On the GES sandwich student placement scheme, you will gain hands-on professional experience working on the economic issues that matter most – climate change, levelling up, healthcare funding, and social mobility. It's a chance to see how economic theory transforms into practical solutions for society's most pressing issues.
We offer:
* Meaningful work where you can directly improve people's lives, from addressing inequality to building sustainable growth.
* An early-access interview for a permanent graduate role, which will enable you to focus on developing your skills and knowledge, reassured that your future is supported.
* An inclusive workplace that celebrates different perspectives and backgrounds, with flexible working arrangements that fit around your life.
Interested in finding out more about the scheme?
Attend our Q&A Session:
Date: Thursday 9 October 2025
Time: 16:30 – 17:30
Place: Virtual, on Microsoft Teams. Join the meeting here
This will be a chance for you to learn about the Government Economic Service, to hear from those who have recently completed the scheme, to get an overview of the recruitment process, and ask any questions you may have.
Person specification
This scheme is only open to students in their penultimate year of undergraduate study (i.e. the year before their final year).
You must be on course for a 2:1 or 1st class outcome, as indicated by your results so far.
You must be studying one of the following:
* An undergraduate honours degree in economics
* An undergraduate economics joint honours degree, where economics must comprise at least 50% of the credit value of modules studied and to be studied over the full course of your degree (typically 3 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 4 years in Scotland).
* An undergraduate Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE) honours degree where at least 50% of the credit value of modules studied and to be studied over the full course of your degree must be in economics.
All candidates must have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics to qualify.
Nationality requirements
Applicants must also:
* Meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules: this means you must be a UK or Irish citizen, a citizen of a Commonwealth country, or a European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) citizen eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme.
* Have the right to live and work in the UK, without the need for employer sponsorship.
* If a holder of a student visa - be allowed under the conditions of the visa to undertake a full-time paid sandwich placement in the UK without a work permit.
If successful, you may be required to undergo security vetting. You therefore must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to CTC/SC/DV level depending on the department you are allocated to. More information about the vetting process can be found at: United Kingdom Security Vetting - GOV.UK
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* Macroeconomics
* Microeconomics
Benefits
* Learning and development tailored to your role
* An environment with flexible working options
* A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Technical skills.
The selection process comprises the following stages:
* Stage 1:Complete the online application form
* Stage 2: Sit an online numerical test. Please note that your application and online test must be completed before applications close at 23:55pm on Sunday 19th October 2025
* Stage 3: If you pass the online numerical test, your application will be sent for sifting (marking)
* Stage 4: If you pass the sift stage you will be invited to an online interview. Further information on what to expect at interview will be sent at a later stage to candidates invited to attend.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Recruitment timeline
* Please note that this timeline may be subject to change.
* 2nd October 2025 – Applications open with application form and online numerical test to be completed
* 19th October 2025 at 23:55 pm - Scheme closes (NB: test and application form must be completed by this date)
* w/c 20th October 2025 – the recruitment team will set the pass mark for the online test and successful candidates will be progressed to sift.
* w/c 3rd November 2025– applications are sifted to decide who will be invited to the interview stage.
* 1st – 19th December 2025 – Interviews are held, virtually.
* Mid-January 2026– Candidates are informed of interview outcome and successful candidates assigned to a government department.
We will assess you against these Civil Service behaviours during the selection process:
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
Successful candidates will be offered a placement subject to meeting entry requirements, references, and security checks.
Please note – should you select Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) as one of your preferred departments and be assigned to them, you will be invited by FCDO to attend an additional interview. Should you not pass this interview, you may be assigned to another department.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
* UK nationals
* nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
* Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name : GESR Recruitment team
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, please contact in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you may contact the Civil Service Commission, please see link to their website:
https://ges-