GES Degree Apprenticeship Programme Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 9 December 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-government-economic-service-degree-level-apprenticeship/gesdap-frequently-asked-questions
1. 1. About the programme
What is the Government Economic Service Degree Apprenticeship Programme (GES DAP)?
Why does the Civil Service have an economic apprenticeship?
What sort of people work in the Civil Service?
What is the Government Economic Service?
Who would be suited to this degree apprenticeship?
2. 2. Work
Which departments are involved?
3. 3. Study
Will I have to pay for my degree?
How long will the programme take?
4. 4. Before you apply
Who can answer my question about something not covered in the FAQs?
I am currently a civil servant – can I apply to the economist degree apprenticeship programme?
I haven’t studied economics – can I apply?
Can I apply if I already have a degree?
Can I apply if I have a qualification from another country?
Where can I register my interest?
Will the apprenticeship lead to a permanent job?
If successful, when will I start?
Can I choose which department I will work for?
5. 5. Answers
What is the Government Economic Service Degree Apprenticeship Programme?
The Government Economic Service Degree Apprenticeship Programme (GES DAP) was the first degree-level economics apprenticeship programme in the UK. The programme offers you 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 a degree in economics.
You will complete your studies with the University of Kent – selected to deliver the programme because of the strength of their economics courses and the support they offer to apprentices throughout your time on programme. Once successfully completed, you will have an apprenticeship, an economics degree, and the experience of four years’ working in the Civil Service – putting you in a brilliant position to progress in your career from there.
Why does the Civil Service have an economic apprenticeship?
Economists play a really important role in the way government makes policy. We need more economists, and we want the economists we employ to reflect the communities we serve – meaning we want to recruit people from all sorts of different backgrounds and in different parts of the country.
What’s the Civil Service?
The Civil Service helps to keep the UK prosperous and secure, supporting the governments we serve in implementing their commitments and delivering high quality services for the public.
We employ over 420,000 people from across the UK. There are a wide range of roles and opportunities within services such as Finance, Diplomacy, Health, Science and Technology.
The Civil Service is united by a strong sense of public service, and its enduring values – integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity – run through all that we do. The Civil Service Success Profiles have more details about what is expected of civil servants.
What sort of people work in the Civil Service?
All sorts! We are committed to recruiting people from a range of different backgrounds, and our recruitment programmes have won lots of awards for their focus on diversity and inclusion.
We are changing along with British society to reflect the communities we serve. Our record of diversity and inclusion puts us head and shoulders above most organisations. We actively support those with additional requirements both during selection and in the workforce.
What is the Government Economic Service?
The Government Economic Service (GES) is the professional body for economists in the UK Civil Service. Since its foundation in 1964, GES economists have been involved in decision making across government. Our ability to explain, predict and propose solutions has seen economists and economics firmly embedded as an essential part of government. GES economists have proved themselves to be relevant, rigorous and respected.
GES members are employed, paid and managed entirely by their departments, agencies or devolved administrations. Reflecting this set-up, each organisation’s Chief Economist or Head of Profession for Economics is the leader for the GES within their organisation. This structure serves economists well, as it balances the benefits of having a link to a wider professional community with ensuring that economists are fully integrated into their organisations. As such, successful applicants will receive an offer of employment from a government department or organisation, not the GES.
Learn more about working for the Government Economic Service.
What will I learn?
You will get first-hand experience of how government works and how policies are made.
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
The degree in Economics will comprise:
- Microeconomics: how individuals and firms make decisions, interaction of supply and demand
- 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
- Option for further study of areas such as environmental economics
What benefits will I enjoy?
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously and want to enable you to build a successful career with the department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing.
As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits. This includes:
- 25 days’ annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday
- a competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire
- flexible working patterns including part- time or time-term working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours
- flexible working patterns allowing you to vary the length of your working day, as long as you work your total monthly full time contracted hours
- generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers
- childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here Tax-Free Childcare
- interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle
Who would be suited to this degree apprenticeship?
This programme would suit:
- people studying technical or vocational courses, e.g. students with BTEC qualifications in relevant areas including business, science, ICT
- A-Level students studying a wide combination of subjects, e.g. economics, STEM subjects and those who studying other subjects with interest in economics
- apprentices and other young people already in work
- adults in / out of work who meet entry requirements
- existing civil servants - people who have joined the Civil Service without first getting a degree or who have a degree in something other than economics
What will I be doing?
The range of opportunities open to you through the GES DAP programme is huge – working in government departments responsible for things like finance, business, energy, justice, education and the environment.
That means you will have the opportunity to make change better in the areas that really matter to the world you live in – working on issues like:
- how government can support small businesses to grow
- how government can support UK businesses to compete in a changing world
- how government can support people to kickstart their lives after time in prison
- how government can act to protect the environment
In government, great economics and great economists are contributing to the very biggest decisions that the country faces.
The same is true in private sector businesses. Great economics, and great economists provide leaders with the analysis and advice they need to make the biggest decisions.
Which departments are involved?
The GES DAP is relevant to all central government departments and agencies; many already have economic apprentices through the programme, including HMRC, HM Treasury, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office, Department for Education, Department for Transport and all departments who have Economic Advisors.
What hours will I work?
Working weeks are 37 hours. 80% of this time is spent on GES work, and 20% of this time will be for learning.
Will I have to travel?
Some travel may be required for this role.
Will I have to pay for my degree?
No. One of the great benefits of studying via a GES apprenticeship is no university fees.
How often will I be studying?
You will typically dedicate one day a week to your studies, but you will also be learning lots on the job.
How long will the programme take?
Typically, 4 years.
Who can answer my question about something not covered in the FAQs?
Email us at GESRRecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk
I am currently a civil servant – can I apply to the economist degree apprenticeship programme?
Yes, as long as you meet the entry requirements
I haven’t studied economics – can I apply?
Yes.
Can I apply if I already have a degree?
Yes as long as your degree is not in economics. If you have a degree in economics or a degree where 50% of the course credit modules are in economics, then you can apply through our other schemes the Assistant Economist Graduate Scheme or the GES Fast Stream, but you are not eligible for the GES DAP.
Can I apply if I have a qualification from another country?
We accept applications from candidates with overseas qualifications, provided that they can supply evidence that their qualification is at a comparable level to that required by the GES DAP. The onus (including any costs) of providing appropriate documentation is on the candidate. The UK National Information Centre (UK ENIC) provides information about the comparability of different international qualifications. We would not normally ask for such evidence until you had been declared successful: it would then be required for our pre-appointment checks.
I have previously applied for a Fast Track apprenticeship and I wasn’t successful. Can I apply for this?
Yes, if you have applied in a previous year, you can apply again. It’s not unusual to succeed after 2 or 3 attempts. However, you can only apply once in each recruitment campaign. Information from previous applications will not be available to assessors.
Will the apprenticeship lead to a permanent job?
Successful completion of the End Point Assessment will confer entitlement to permanent employment in the GES at Assistant Economist entry level, and opportunity to apply for the Fast Stream and/or promotion.
If successful, when will I start?
September of each year.
Can I choose which department I will work for?
Candidates who are successful are advised may be allocated to any of the participating departments, though we will take your location preferences into consideration. Please note: While we will make every effort to allocate a department within a location - this is not guaranteed.
Some departments also require candidates to have a UK footprint for 5 years to get security clearance including the Home Office, HM Treasury, Ministry of Justice and some other departments.
Can I defer my entry?
If you wish to apply for the following years GES DAP programme, we will welcome your application the following year.
Only in exceptional personal circumstances such as illness or bereavement, would we consider deferrals. If you think you may need to defer, you will be able to request this following your offer of a place on the GES DAP and this will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
More information
Find out more about the apprenticeship programme and how to apply.