The UK Government has announced the launch of a new Civil Service Summer Internship Programme aimed at boosting social mobility and improving access to public sector careers for students from working-class backgrounds.
Opening for applications in October 2025, the scheme will offer around 200 paid internships to talented undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Successful applicants will spend two months working in a Civil Service department during summer 2026, gaining hands-on experience and tailored support.
The programme is designed to address the current underrepresentation of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the prestigious Fast Stream graduate scheme, which regularly ranks among the top in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list.
Interns will gain valuable experience in areas such as event planning, ministerial briefings, policy research, and shadowing senior civil servants. Each participant will be paired with a Fast Stream “buddy” and receive access to skills development sessions.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, commented:
“We need to get more working class young people into the Civil Service so it harnesses the broadest range of talent and truly reflects the country. Government makes better decisions when it represents and understands the people we serve.
“I want to open up opportunities for students from all backgrounds, and in every corner of the UK, so they can take a leading role at the heart of government as we re-wire the state and deliver the Plan for Change.”
Those who perform well will be fast-tracked to the final stages of the Fast Stream selection process, providing a direct route into leadership roles within the Civil Service.
This initiative is part of the government’s broader Plan for Change, which aims to break down barriers to opportunity and make the Civil Service more representative of the people it serves.
Earlier this year, the government launched the Career Launch apprenticeship scheme for school leavers and announced a new ambition for 50% of Fast Stream placements to be offered outside London by 2030.
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