Going Forward into Employment - Do you have barriers to employment and want to work for The Civil Service?
Category: Recruitment
Publish date: 01/07/2021
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is working with Ministers and Civil Service leaders to help make the Civil Service more representative of the country it serves.
To support the Civil Service in its aims, the Commission has accredited several schemes. One of these being ‘Going Forward into Employment’ (GFiE). It works with several ministerial departments on an alternative route to employment for individuals whose circumstances, previous life chances, or social status make it difficult for them to compete for appointments on merit, and on the basis of fair and open competition.
It does this by accrediting and championing government employment initiatives through a specially designed exception to its Recruitment Principles: Exception 2 ‘Support for government employment programmes’. This Exception aims to remove barriers to employment - helping the government to tackle social issues and supporting individuals to reach their potential through work.
GFiE directly contributes to supporting departmental diversity and inclusion, social mobility/outreach strategy and the Government’s new ‘levelling up’ agenda. It aims to make the Civil Service an exemplar employer and a great place to work for Veterans & Military Spouse/Partners - a priority group for government action.
Roles are typically entry level and first line management grades. Some departments support the scheme by also offering qualifications in the form of apprenticeships. Being part of the Civil Service offers a great range of benefits including flexi-time and a great pension scheme.
The Civil Service is looking for individuals who can highlight their transferable skills. And due to the variety of skills Veterans can bring to an organisation, Service leavers are prime candidates.
To be eligible for the accredited scheme, there’s a criterion that needs to be fulfilled. If you’ve been out of the Armed Forces for less than 5 years, or you have been Medically Discharged within the last 10 years, you could be eligible.
In order to apply for vacancies under the GFiE scheme, please search on CTP’s online job portal RightJob using the Company Name “Cabinet Office”. To receive notifications of these roles when they’re uploaded, please add “Public Sector” and “Civil Service” to your RightJob profile.
If you don’t have access to RightJob, please contact Jo Lucas, Employer Relationship Manager South West on [email protected], who will provide you with an Expression of Interest form.
CASE STUDY
"I recently left the Armed Forces after serving 22 years with the Infantry. I first joined in 1998 as a private soldier and worked my way through the ranks, until I left on the 1st February 2020 as a WO2. Prior to me leaving my regiment I was a Company Sergeant Major deployed to Northern Iraq on Op Shader, and finished instructing the Army reserves as a senior learning and development manager.
"Leaving the military was quite hard. After 22 years you become accustomed to the way of life and also the security of employment. However, I’m now able to spend more time with family and have the ability to make long-term plans.
To ease my transition back into civvy street while remaining attached to the military, I’ve become a member of the reserves and have already been introduced to the DWP Army reserve network.
"The role with the DWP was suggested by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), who assist Service leavers in finding employment. The help from the CTP, combined with the Going Forward into Employment Scheme was invaluable. I was kept up to date with all aspects of the application and interview process, and was given the opportunity and encouragement at the interview to showcase my transferable skills developed during my military career.
"The way I’ve been welcomed into the DWP and my job centre has been brilliant. And having contact with my own personal mentor to discuss any issues has been very welcome and appreciated.
"My only criticism is the role only being on a fixed term basis for up to 2 years. Obviously going from a secure military job to a fixed term contract doesn’t afford me or my family the job security I’m used to. However, I’m hopeful that the contract will be either extended or made permanent. My line manager has been extremely supportive of this and will assist me throughout, which is another thing I am very grateful for."