Government Economic Service Degree Apprenticeship Programme 2025

As an apprentice economist, you will be joining a community of over 3500 economists in more than 70 organisations across the Civil Service.
You will have a unique opportunity to work in a central government department or agency on some of the most important social, environmental, and economic issues our country faces, whilst studying for a degree in economics. You will have the opportunity to improve the world you live in – working on issues like:
How can government support UK businesses to compete in a changing world?
How can government support people to kick-start their lives after prison?
How can government act to protect the environment?
How can the government support regional growth?
The range of opportunities open to you through the Government Economic Service Degree Apprenticeship programme (GESDAP) is huge. You could be working in government departments responsible for business, energy, justice, transport or the UK Space Agency.
Economists are contributing to the very biggest decisions that the country faces. They help senior leaders make the best choices by providing them with analysis and accurate, timely advice.
Please see the attached candidate pack for more information or visit our GESDAP website Government Economic Service Degree Level Apprenticeship Programme.
Question and Answer Sessions
There will be a Question and Answer (Q&A) session with the GES Recruitment Team to chat about the application process and the experience of working as an apprentice in government., This is an exciting time to be joining the Civil Service. As an apprentice economist, you will study for a degree in economics whilst putting your economic learning to direct use in the workplace every day. You will contribute to high profile public policies through your economic analysis. With continuous support you will prepare vital briefings for senior officials, ministers or the public, provide quality advice on policy options
The Government Economic Service provides high quality, high impact economic analysis to inform government decisions. You can read more about the GES here. To keep up to date with our latest news and information please follow us on social media – X/Twitter - LinkedIn – Instagram – Facebook.
A Government Economic Service (GES) apprenticeship is a four years programme undertaking the Level 6 Professional Economist standard, including a BSc Economics Degree. At the same time, you will be working in a team of economists and other analysts in a government department, supported by a manager and a buddy.
Your degree will be a mixture of online and face-to-face teaching and a residential week each year at the University of Kent in Canterbury. The department you work in will make any necessary travel arrangements and payment for you to attend in-person events with the University of Kent from your office location.
The BSc Professional Economics Degree will be comprised of:
+ Microeconomics; how individuals, households and firms make decisions, the interaction of supply and demand and how markets work.
+ Macroeconomics; how the economy works at a national and international level.
+ Econometrics; the use of data to test theories and evaluate changes in government policies.
Working as a member of the GES involves the development and use of:
+ Quantitative skills: manipulating and presenting data.
+ Writing and presentation techniques: communicating economics clearly and succinctly to senior officials and ministers.
+ Applied economics skills: using economic insights and techniques to inform decisions on anything from the environment to transport.
At the end of four years, successful completion of the End Point Assessment will guarantee you permanent employment in the GES., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Working Together

Benefits
+ Fully funded BSc Economics Degree with the University of Kent.
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension
+ Minimum of 25 days Annual Leave., You will undertake two Civil Service Online tests, (verbal and numerical).
These tests are not timed, meaning you can take as long as you need to complete them, However, the test deadlines are the same as the overall application deadline, so please make sure you give yourself time to complete these 2 tests and the full application form.
If you have recently taken and passed the same Civil Service test when applying for a role at the same test grade (equivalent to an Executive Officer (EO)), you will not have to re-take this test.
Stage 3: Full application form and personal statement.
If the minimum (benchmark) standard of the online test is met, you will be invited to fill out the full online application form.
Please complete the full application form including details of your qualifications and any predicted grades up to August 2025. Plus, a personal statement of no more than 1000 words. Your statement should include the following:
1. Why you are interested in the apprenticeship;
2. How you are planning to balance work and study;
3. How you are planning to keep yourself motivated and keep track of your performance.
We will not require you to upload or attach a separate CV document to your application form. Once you have submitted your application form you will not be permitted to amend it.
NB: You need to complete stages 1-3 before the application deadline (2nd January 2025 at 13:55pm)
Stage 4: Pre-sift - Online test review and pass mark set.
This is an internal recruitment administrative process which will take place after the application deadline. Once the scheme pass mark for the test is set, you will receive your result via Civil Service Jobs. If we receive a large volume of applications, we may set our pass mark higher than the Civil Service online test minimum (benchmark) standard.
Stage 5: Sift
If successful in meeting the scheme pass mark for the online tests, you will be sifted on your personal statement.
Candidates who are unsuccessful at the sift stage will not be given any feedback or comments.
Stage 6: Assessment Centre
Candidates passing the sift stage, will be invited to an assessment centre, with assessments taking place virtually. The assessment is split into two parts: written assignment and then on a separate day you will have an interview and give a verbal presentation on a selected topic.
Stage 7: Application Offer
If you are successful, you will be offered a place on the apprenticeship subject to obtaining satisfactory grades, references (i.e. personal or work) and passing security checks.
All candidates will be offered a role based on merit. Location preferences will be taken into consideration but are not guaranteed. Please take note that due to the limited number of posts available in specific locations, successful candidates may be offered roles in nearby towns to your preferred location It is important for candidates to note that many of the roles are located outside of London.
Occasionally, a department may withdraw from the scheme before placements are offered or we have more successful candidates than available placements. In such cases, applicants will be placed on a reserve list. The reserve list will be open until September 2025.
If an apprenticeship offer has been made and a candidate's exam results received in August 2025 are lower than predicted (and the candidate has submitted the exam for a remark), the apprenticeship offer will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if the offer can still proceed..
Additional guidance will be given before each stage of the process., Assessors to return sift outcomes to GESR Team
w/c 24th February 2025
Candidates take their Written Assessment
w/c 3rd March 2025
Assessors to mark Written Assessments
17th March – 7th April 2025
Candidates take the Online Assessment Centre including interview
April 2025
Candidates informed of their Assessment Centre / Interview outcome
Early May 2025
Successful candidates to be allocated to departments
By end of May 2025
Departments to contact successful candidates to start onboarding and pre-appointment checks.
September 2025
Apprenticeship starts
Please take note that the timeline may change.
For further information on the selection process, please see the Candidate Pack.
Please take note that though the GESR Recruitment team normally work Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

+ Resided in the UK for at least the previous 3 years before the start of the apprenticeship.
+ Individuals will also need to demonstrate that they meet the relevant immigration requirements and their eligibility under the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs). Please see below Nationality Requirements for more information
Desired skills
+ Well organised, able to prioritise and work to deadlines.
+ Able to understand and explain complex information verbally and in writing.
+ Able to use IT, including Microsoft Office, Excel and Outlook.
+ Able to solve problems, establishing issues and advantages and disadvantages of different options.
+ Able to work independently and as part of a team working towards a common goal.
+ Able to think critically and question things.
Personal qualities
+ Understanding of what a degree in economics entails and a commitment to completing the apprenticeship over 4 years.
+ Interest in government and current affairs.
+ Keen to learn and develop.
+ Not required but flexible to travel within the UK.
If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to CTC/SC/DV level. More information about the vetting process can be found at the following link Security Vetting and Clearance Guidance, • Have a minimum of five GCSE (including Maths at grade B (6) or above and English Language at C (4) or above) or equivalent;
• Minimum of 96 UCAS points under the 2017 tariff point system (e.g., CCC at A Level or equivalent qualification, not including General Studies)
(or expected to achieve by August 2025)