News
Friday 18 May 2007
Head of Civil Service gives students careers talk
Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, Sir Gus O’ Donnell, visited Nottingham Trent University today to talk to students about career opportunities as a civil servant. The presentation, in the University’s Belgrave Centre in the city, was organised to coincide with a visit by Sir Gus to meet with civil servants across the East Midlands.
Sir Gus’s talk covered what the Civil Service does, the kind of people they are looking for, and the types of skills they require. It included why people chose the Civil Service for a career, fast-stream opportunities, summer development programmes, and delivering its future challenges.
He also focused on the variety of job opportunities available within the Civil Service. The presentation showed that as well as working in the areas traditionally associated with the Civil Service such as policymaking, civil servants could be helping people back into work, tackling drug trafficking or rehabilitating offenders. There are also opportunities to work in corporate services such as human resources, information technology, communications, marketing and law.
Sir Gus said: “We want a very diverse workforce in the Civil Service. We are here to deliver better public services, so it is essential that the people making decisions and delivering policy represent society. It is vital to have a dynamic Civil Service which can respond to the changes around us such as migration patterns, climate change and new technology. We are looking for the best people to work with us, all over the country, to help us meet these challenges and take forward our reform agenda.
He added: “I am delighted to be at Nottingham Trent University today. I want to make sure the Civil Service reaches out to people who reflect society and all of our universities. I was particularly pleased to note the importance the Nottingham Trent University places on encouraging students to recognise how their skills can be transferred into the workplace.”
After four years as a university economics lecturer, Sir Gus joined the treasury as an economist in 1979. He went on to work as press secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1989-1990 and then for the Prime Minister from 1990-1994.
Since 1998 he has been Head of the Government Economics Service, the UK’s largest employer of professional economists. He was the UK’s Executive Director to the IMF and World Bank from 1997-1998, director of Macroeconomic Policy and Prospects from 1998-1999, and Managing Director of Macroeconomic Policy and International Finance since 1999.
Sir Gus was Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury from 2002-2005 before becoming Cabinet Secretary.
ENDS
Notes for editors: Sir Gus will be speaking to students between 1 - 2pm.
The East Midlands employs more than 23,000 civil servants.
For more on the Civil Service visit the Civil Service website.
Press enquiries please contact Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email.
