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Civil Service Fast Stream Recruitment 2006

Published by the Cabinet Office, March 2007

• Introduction
  • Headline Figures
• Fast Stream selection process
• 2006 Fast Stream recruitment
• In-service competition
• Diversity

Introduction

The Civil Service Fast Stream is a training and development programme for some of the country's most talented graduates, selected on the basis of their potential to reach the Senior Civil Service and become the leaders of the future.

The Civil Service recruits to the Fast Stream on the basis of fair and open competition and selection on merit.

This report summarises the results of the 2006 recruitment schemes (those completed in the year ending November 2006), and the main developments during the period under review.

• 2006 Fast Stream Recruitment Report in full [PDF 2.18MB, 22 pages]

Some explanatory notes

The Fast Stream consists of four separate schemes:

• The Graduate Fast Stream. Formerly known as the General Fast Stream, this is the largest scheme. Within it, applicants may ask to be considered for a range of options: Central Departments (essentially the Home Civil Service), the Diplomatic Service, the European Fast Stream, Parliamentary Clerkships, the Science and Engineering Fast Stream and the DFID Technical Development Option. Because the Graduate Fast Stream is numerically significant, this report focuses on it individually as well as in the context of the whole Fast Stream.
• The Economist Scheme.
• The Statistician Scheme.
• The Government Communications Headquarters scheme.

The Economist and Statistician schemes both involve a test of professional aptitude, but the underlying Fast Stream assessment is aligned to that of the Graduate Fast Stream.

There is also an annual competition for serving civil servants (the In–Service competition) who wish to join the Graduate Fast Stream. This too is included in the Report. In 2006, the In–Service competition included dedicated options for Government Social Researchers, and for finance professionals.

The Graduate Fast Stream selection process was modified in 2005 and is explained in that section. All candidates who achieve the pass mark at the Fast Stream Assessment Centre have reached the standard for the Graduate Fast Stream and are guaranteed a place in the Central Departments option if they want it. All Graduate Fast Stream options apart from Central Departments apply some form of final selection procedure after the Assessment Centre before deciding whom to recommend for appointment.

Headline Figures

• Applications rose to 13,945 in 2006¹ from 12,957 in 2005¹
• In the Fast Stream as a whole, the percentage of vacancies filled decreased by 1 per cent, from 2005, to 93 per cent. All Graduate Fast Stream vacancies were filled.
• 50.4 per cent of successful candidates were women, an increase from 43.7 per cent in 2005.
• 11.1 per cent of successful candidates were from ethnic minorities, up from 7.1 per cent in 2005.
• The proportion of candidates recording a disability and recommended for appointment increased to 7.4 per cent from 6.7 per cent in 2005.
• Successful candidates graduated from over 50 universities.
• In the In–Service competition, the proportion of successful candidates fell slightly to 48.5 per cent in 2006 from 49.5 per cent in 2005

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1 An application is deemed to have been submitted if a candidate has completed the self–assessment and proceeds to take the online tests. See explanation of the process.