Apprentice Economist Review

My current role involves working with the benefit forecasts for DWP and ensuring that we are providing robust forecasts that represent what the spending of the department will be in future years. The forecasts are sensitive to changes in economic assumptions, methodology changes so it is vital that we are aware of the main drivers of changes to the forecast.

I have developed my leadership and communication skills in this role. I work with various stakeholders across the department as well as colleagues from other government departments (OBR & HMT) where I am able to maintain healthy working relationships. I have also worked heavily with briefing which has meant I can now tailor my narrative of economic analysis succinctly to various stakeholders, even those who are not economists.

The programme is very enjoyable as it means I can learn alongside work and can apply my learning to what I do in work. The balance between work and study can be difficult when both are busy but once the balance is achieved the programme is really fun and rewarding.

The GESDAP is organised very well, we are allocated 20% of the week towards study which is granted by the employer. We have a clear structure for university in terms of teaching and exams, this is communicated to us early which enables us to plan when work will be needed for.

The support received from our employer is really good, both on a professional and out of work basis. There are various streams in which we can communicate concerns. The fact we are working with so many experienced economists is also helpful on the university side of things as we can learn from their prior knowledge and people are always willing to help.

The support received from the Uni of Kent is great, lecturers are always available when needed if clarification is needed about a specific topic etc. The structure of the course means that we have regular contact with lecturers despite almost all learning being remote. Wellbeing support is also readily available and is reminded to us when we have our regular reviews with the apprenticeship advisors.

Sometimes the content learnt on the course can seem a bit abstract from what we are doing in the workplace. However, the skills learnt are invaluable to getting better and performing better at the role. Certain modules link better than others, for example econometrics was a huge help that allowed me to perform better at work and conduct more in depth economic analysis.

There are regular social events that are organised within work, sometimes it can be difficult due to the nature of colleagues being spread across the country but on the whole the social aspect of work is great. I have previously been involved in sports tournaments that allowed me to get to know various other members of the department that I would not have necessarily got to know if it wasn't for that.

Yes

It is a really friendly and flexible place to work that works for your needs and wants. The work that we do as apprentices is always very important and is more than what I ever expected to be doing as an apprentice. We are trusted with high value projects and are given a lot of responsibility.

Read the civil service behaviours before applying to the Government Economic Service and try and frame your answers around them as they are vital to achieve once you get in the civil service and look for promotion. Try doing this by pulling on past experience of other roles that you may have had or experiences from university.