Corporate report

Government Science & Engineering (GSE) Profession Talent Strategy 2021 – 2023

Published 12 August 2022

1. Our mission

The Government Science and Engineering (GSE) Profession is committed to developing its members so that they can make a real difference by embedding science and engineering in government and placing it at the heart of government decision-making.  The Talent Strategy and action plan is one of six important themes of the GSE Profession Strategy 2021.

We will enhance science and engineering (S&E) capability by investing in our members, including those with the potential to become highly influential leaders in government. The GSE Profession recognises that all members can demonstrate leadership in their work to advise, influence and deliver for government and this strategy reflects the diverse needs of our membership.

The GSE Talent Strategy and action plan brings together all the work the profession has done to support talent development since the launch of the GSE Profession Strategy and includes actions from 2021 as well as future commitments.

2. Our approach

We are committed to nurturing talent from a diverse range of backgrounds and technical expertise - from early and mid-career civil servants to senior leaders. We want to:

• Attract a diverse range of STEM individuals and skills from a range of backgrounds, whether from within the UK or wider
• Identify GSE members with potential to progress and provide opportunities to enhance their readiness for senior roles
• Develop confident science and engineering leaders that use their expertise to influence policy making decisions and lead others
• Engage our members, stakeholders and external partners to better understand their leadership needs and develop meaningful careers at all stages of their career journey
• Retain our scientists and engineers through offering a comprehensive GSE Talent offer, and
• Explore options to deploy talented scientists and engineers that supports career progression.

By working with a wide range of GSE members, stakeholder groups and departments/agencies, we will identify current and future GSE skills needed for government, to build a diverse pipeline of talented individuals for the future. This supports our ambition to deliver world class science, engineering and policy making in government.

3. Our Purpose

This Talent Strategy reflects the commitment set out in the GSE Profession Strategy and aligns with the Government’s Declaration on Reform (2021), which describes how we must do more to attract and retain those with deep expertise, particularly with STEM skills and build ‘the best people working and leading in government to deliver better outcomes for citizens’.

This Strategy sets out our intent and approach for GSE Talent and how we plan to deliver on these goals. The goals cover a range of actions – appreciating that our members are in a variety of science and engineering roles from affiliate, cross-discipline, specialist, and deep specialist[1] work.

GSE members and key stakeholders were actively engaged in the development of the Talent Strategy and actions to ensure that the talent offer is relevant and effective for all members.

4. Evaluating the strategy

GSE Profession team will report on the progress of activities each quarter and carry out an evaluation review of the Talent Strategy in 2023.  Progress updates are published through the GSE Project Board and GSE Shadow Project Board, which take place every four months. Key events and other updates will be communicated through the GSE monthly newsletter.

5. Our goals, objectives and plans

You can access our work goals, objectives and plans as a PDF document HTML document.

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[1] As described in the GSE Profession Career Framework