Civil service interns must all be working class, government says
By: | Published: 2025-07-31 23:38:00 | Source: www.bbc.com
The government will restrict civil service internships to students from poorer families as part of a drive from ministers to make Whitehall more working class.
The main internship scheme designed to attract university students to the civil service will now only be available for students from “lower socio-economic backgrounds”, judged by what jobs their parents did when they were 14.
Those who are successful on the internship will then be prioritised for entry to the Fast Stream, the main graduate programme for entry to the civil service.
The change has been driven by Pat McFadden, who as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is responsible for civil service reform.
He told the BBC: “We need to get more working class young people into the Civil Service so it harnesses the broadest range of…
