Man addresses a group of conference delegates

Civil servants to benefit from training overhaul

An overhaul of Civil Service training is being launched as part of the Government’s modernisation programme, aimed at equipping civil servants with the skills and knowledge needed to best perform their roles.

The new Curriculum and Campus for Government Skills will build on Michael Gove’s Ditchley speech last year and seek to transform training and development for civil servants from the core knowledge they need at the beginning of their career through to specialist training in areas such as economics, data usage, the physical sciences and constitutional issues.

The goal is to support civil servants to deliver the best possible public services, becoming less reliant on expensive external consultants and build back “stronger, fairer, safer and greener”.

As well, the new training will help develop in-house Civil Service expertise, ultimately allowing Government to save taxpayer money which previously would have funded consultant work. It will be available to the thousands of civil servants across the UK.

The new curriculum will also offer induction training for new ministers.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, said: “We must make the most of the amazing talent that we have in such abundance in the Civil Service and that means ensuring civil servants across the UK are equipped with the right skills and can develop deep knowledge of the areas they work in.

“For too long training has been focussed on the latest management jargon and ignored specialist knowledge.

“The New Curriculum and Campus for Government Skills will transform our approach to training and deliver better public services for families across the UK.”

Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service, Alex Chisholm, added: “This new curriculum and learning campus will better target training in key areas, as well as focus on building up technical and vocational skills.

“It will help us to maximise the outstanding talent in the Civil Service, providing more opportunities for civil servants at every level to develop and progress their careers.”

The new curriculum is divided into five complementary strands, providing training in a range of areas including:

  1. Foundations of public administration, such as analysing evidence, training in how to write effective submissions and policy documents, and in data handling
  2. Working in government, providing information on devolution & intergovernmental working, parliament and legislation and the machinery of government
  3. Leading and managing, offering advice and training for current and future leaders
  4. Specialist skills, developing deep expertise in areas such as analysis, digital and procurement
  5. Domain knowledge, focusing on building and assessing knowledge in specific policy areas, such as health, education or transport

By the end of the year, it is expected that thousands of civil servants will have taken part in the training, with courses ranging from initial induction to working in Government up to line management training and specialist courses.

The campus will initially be based online. As part of the programme we are looking at potentially partnering with existing public sector centres of excellence, like the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Other initiatives include the potential for a College for National Security and a Service Delivery Academy. The College of National Security will improve skills and access to expertise for individuals working in defence, security and foreign policy and strategy areas. The College will also work with universities and other sectors so that civil servants can better utilise wider expertise in this area.

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic training sessions will be held virtually to begin with, but in-person sessions will be developed for use in the future.

The new curriculum will replace the current training system across government, which features a mix of centralised core skills and individually commissioned training programmes held in every department.

Public Sector Executive, Feb/March, Cover

PSE Feb/March, 23

Greater choice, greater results

Our February/March 2023 edition of PSE brings you expert comment and analysis on a range of key public sector topics, from EV infrastructure to Digital transformation and reducing carbon emissions. Learn how the UK Government is investing in highway and freight innovation or read Cllr Matthew Hicks discuss the first step towards an exciting future for Suffolk, alongside so much more…

Videos...

View all videos
#PSE365: Public Sector Decarbonisation

Be A Part Of It!

PSE365: Public Sector Decarbonisation Virtual Event | 21 Mar 2023

PSE has created a full calendar of events to address the most important issues that influence the delivery of public sector services. 

Over 365 days you’ll have the opportunity to hear from a range of highly motivating, informative and inspirational speakers. These speakers will equip you with knowledge and unique insight to enable you to overcome the challenges that you face.

Industry Survey

What are the biggest issues facing the Public Sector?

 Public Sector Executive is undergoing some in-depth research around the issues the Public Sector is facing and the importance of deploying and using new technology within Public Sector organisations. 

We are asking for your help to better understand how public sector organisations are utilising technology to support their digital strategy and your opinion on what the biggest issues facing the public sector are.

This survey only takes a couple of minutes to complete and to thank you for your time and for filling out our survey, we'll enter you into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher.

In order to assist public sector organisations with improving their existing technology estate, we hope to leverage our findings to share best practises and innovations across the public sector.

More articles...

View all