We’re committed to helping colleagues develop their skills and progress in line with their aspirations. This commitment includes supporting talent at the early stages of their careers by offering several dedicated development schemes. In line with our commitment to increase diversity, we’re particularly keen to attract early talent from under-represented groups.
We host a number of short-term placements and internships, which will give you a sense of our work and how the Civil Service is organised.
Movement to Work: This charity is a coalition of the UK’s leading employers, civil society and government. Movement to Work supports the Home Office to provide placements lasting between two to six weeks. They combine employability skills training with on-the-job experience.
Care Leavers Internships: These are 12-month paid internships which are aimed at helping care leavers develop skills and competencies that support them into long-term jobs. This is a cross-government programme offering over 500 places in the Civil Service.
Summer Diversity Internship Programme (SDIP): This programme gives talented undergraduates and graduates from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to see what a career in the Civil Service is like.
“SDIP, and indeed the Civil Service, provided us interns with the opportunity to find a place where we can fulfil our potential and make the most of our abilities.”
Simron, Home Office SDIP Intern
Early Diversity Internship Programme (EDIP): This programme is available to first-year undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. The five-day placement in a government department gives valuable insight and understanding of what it’s like to be on the Fast Stream.
“I found this week incredibly interesting, challenging and stimulating to take part in. It was useful to learn more general skills regarding applying for the Fast Stream and networking.”
Sophie, Home Office EDIP Intern
Ambitious About Autism: A national charity which works closely with young people and children with autism. They provide services, raise awareness and understanding, and campaign for change. Through their connection with the Cabinet Office, during the summer they arrange and match young people with appropriate internships throughout different government departments.
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The Autism Exchange Internship program is a program developed in collaboration between the Civil Service and the charity Ambitious about Autism.
The idea is to give autistic applicants the skills and experience, with an internship in the Civil Service.
I felt that this internship would help me link in with the learning that I had taken at university, as well as to develop my skills and understanding of the workplace.
My area was a Project Delivery role within Procurement. It was really fascinating to learn more about the risks within projects, as well as the opportunities and threats that they face.
It was really amazing to be able to take up the experience of the internship in Sheffield. A lot more closer to home.
It really did sort of highlight the more local opportunities within the Home Office and Civil Service more broadly, in many different local communities.
In terms of the office, it’s been really fascinating to use applications such as Outlook and SharePoint more in depth.
Especially when these sorts of digital skills will be very much fundamental to the jobs of the future. Whether that is in the civil service or across many different sectors.
To be able to have this experience within one of the most consequential departments, such as the Home Office, has been a real honour for me personally as my first ever internship.
Throughout the internship, I have been supported by an amazing line manager and amazing colleagues who have made the experience an absolute dream. It really has sort of set the standard.