Government Economic Service Summer Scheme
The GES summer placement scheme is aimed at economics students who are considering a career in the GES after graduation.
The Government Economic Service (GES) Summer Placement scheme is now closed. Please register your interest to be notified when our 2025 scheme opens.
Are you an economics undergraduate in your penultimate year on track for a 2:1 or above? Do you want to gain practical experience and use your economics skills to make a difference? Join the UK Government for a paid summer placement.
Summer placements last 6-12 weeks over the summer period and are paid. The scheme offers a unique opportunity to gain practical experience working in the Civil Service, applying economics to issues that matter.
Placements take place in a variety of UK Government departments and can involve analysing data, providing advice on policy options, or preparing briefings for officials and ministers. Many summer placement students have come back to join us for a permanent role after finishing their degree.
Salary
London Minimum: £24,380, National Minimum: £22,440 (salaries vary according to department and location)
Location
Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Sheffield, Titchfield (Fareham), Treforest (Pontypridd), Wolverhampton, York (locations vary according to government department.)
About the Government Economic Service (GES)
We are the professional body for economists in the Civil Service. With over 3,500 members, we are the largest recruiter of economists in the country. We recruit student, graduate, and apprentice economists and support their professional development in more than 50 government departments in locations across the UK.
The work of GES economists has been integral to understanding and responding to fast-moving events such as Covid-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and changes in financial markets. Economic analysis is central to policymaking on long-term challenges such as climate change, education, biodiversity and inequality.
Join our online Q&A Session
Join our Q&A session to find out more about the application process and what it is like to be a student economist in government. The online session will take place on:
Monday 15 January 2024, 13.00-14.00. Click here to join the meeting
You can find out more about the type of work available to students by reading these case studies by former students.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible applicants must:
- be an economics undergraduate student in their penultimate year (i.e. year before the final year of study) who are on course for a 2:1 or 1st class degree, as demonstrated by their first year exam results.
- be studying for an undergraduate degree in economics or a joint degree where economics comprises at least 50% of the total course, studied so far
- be studying for a degree which includes Macro and Microeconomics.
- have the right to work in the UK.
Individuals will need to demonstrate that they meet the relevant immigration requirements and their eligibility under the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs). Nationality requirements are explained in more detail on the Civil Service nationality rules webpage.
Please note: We do not offer sponsorships for our schemes.
How to Apply
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role.
During the application process you will be asked to complete an online numeracy test.
Please note: The test deadline is the same as the application deadline.
The GESR Recruitment Team work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Therefore, technical support will not be available outside of these hours.
Candidates who are unsuccessful at the sift stage will not be given any feedback or comments. If you do not hear from us within 2 months of deadline, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that some departments require candidates to have a UK footprint for 5 years to get security clearance, including the Home Office, Ministry of Defence and Office for National Statistics.
Example resources for applicants
For further information about the recruitment process, please read our 2024 . New guidance will be published in January 2024.
Details about the kind of role you could be working in during your summer placement can be found in the attached 2024 . New job roles will be published in January 2024.
Equal opportunities
At the GES we welcome applications from anyone with the necessary qualifications, regardless of sex, marital status, race, colour, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or, in Northern Ireland, community background. There are no age limits, but departments will expect several years’ service before retirement.
Contact point for applicants
GESR Recruitment Team: GESRRecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Social media
Please follow our social media accounts to keep up to date with relevant information.
Complaints procedure
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact GESR by email at: GESRRecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
Last updated 25 January 2024 + show all updates
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The 2024 Government Economic Service Summer Scheme has now closed.
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The GES Summer Student 2019 scheme will be at 12pm on Tuesday 05 Feb and close at 12pm on Thursday 14th Feb.
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