About the job

Job summary

Join the UK’s biggest communications community

The Government Communication Service (GCS) is the professional body for UK Civil Service communications professionals. Communication teams are based across the UK in government departments and arm’s length bodies. It’s the most important communications job you’ll ever do.

The GCS Apprenticeship is an 18 month Level 4 PR and Communications Assistant Apprenticeship and is now recruiting.

Job description

When you join the GCS, you will quickly find that no two days are ever the same.  From helping to communicate His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Campaign called ‘An extraordinary job. Done by someone like you’. to being behind many of the stories you read, retweet and blog about. For example, the NHS campaign ‘Not Family, But Blood’ with Disney, Marvel Studios and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ to encourage blood donations for black communities.

You will have the opportunity to work across the 7 communications disciplines, delivering cutting edge work for the UK Government; an apprenticeship in government communications will give you the opportunity to begin a varied and rewarding career. 

For more information on the Communications disciplines please click here.

What is the Government Communication Service (GCS) Apprenticeship all about?

As a GCS Apprentice, you will spend 18 months working in one or more communications teams within the GCS while studying for your Level 4 Public Relations and Communications Assistant qualification.

You will contribute to exciting new ideas and real issues that affect real people. For example, you could find yourself:

• using digital and social media to interest and engage people;
• working on government campaigns to encourage community participation; 
• researching and analysing the needs of a variety of audiences through data & insight; or
• organising key events and visits for a variety of audiences.

You will gain valuable work experience in communications specialisms, such as media, internal communications, digital, data & insight, external affairs, marketing or strategic communications.

In GCS, we are committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: we recognise that greater diversity will lead to stronger communications as we better represent our audiences and welcome different perspectives to spark innovation. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and conduct anonymous sifting to improve fairness in decision making. We also run a Disability Confident scheme - please see below for more details - and will ensure that reasonable adjustments are arranged during the recruitment process for those who require it.

To find out more about the GCS Apprenticeship we will be holding a virtual Open evening on Tuesday 26th March between 6pm and 7.30pm.  Please register using the link. 

What training will I receive as an Apprentice?

During the apprenticeship you will complete a Level 4 Public Relations and Communications Assistant qualification, delivered by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. This will supplement your work placement by providing …

• A fully embedded induction programme
• An initial assessment of your Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours in order to develop and enhance your career and personal progression
• On the job training delivered by the employer, with support from your line manager and wider team.
• One to one skills coaching
• In person and online seminars delivered by experts

Person specification

What makes a great candidate for the GCS Apprenticeship?

Essential Criteria for the role; successful candidates will be able to:

• Demonstrate an interest in news stories and have an understanding of current affairs and the work of the Government Communication profession;
• Use communication tools and channels to deliver key messages; evaluate the impact and effectiveness of campaigns
• Be flexible, proactive and able to work under-pressure to deadlines.
• Demonstrate good interpersonal, written, presentation and verbal skills
• Be organised and creative and demonstrate the ability to work effectively, independently and as part of a team

Eligibility

The GCS apprenticeship is aimed at almost anyone. This includes school leavers but also career changers and individuals with previous communications experience who do not have a specific degree in a communications related topic. 

To apply for an apprenticeship, you must have:

1. 5 GCSEs at grades 4-9 (A*-C) or equivalent including English and Maths.
2. The equivalent of 2 A-levels achieved by September 2024, preferably including a communications related subject (for example English Literature or English Language).

In addition to the above requirement when applying for an apprenticeship, you must:

• be aged 16 or older
• not be in full-time education
• must not hold a level 4 qualification, including a degree, in a communications-related field
• have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom
• be undertaking only one apprenticeship at any one time
• have been living in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the last 3 years before starting an apprenticeship

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security (DBS) check and must meet the relevant security requirements for their department before they can be appointed.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. Providing you meet the minimum application criteria, we can guarantee you an interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £21,000, Cabinet Office contributes £5,670 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

The application stage will consist of the following stages -

• Short application form stage (basic details).
• CV containing your previous skills/experience
• Full application form with a 500 word statement of suitability.

Your CV will be used for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Tips for the Statement of Suitability

You may choose narrative, or bullet points. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do, how you plan on making the most out of the scheme and the skills you have that are transferable to the essential criteria above. Due to the high number of applications we are unable to provide feedback to candidates who are unsuccessful in the application sift.

Interview Stage

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to complete a presentation. Details will be shared closer to the time. The presentation will be assessed against the Insight behaviour level 1 of the GCS Competency Framework.

You will also be required to answer questions based on the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• Level 1 Working Together
• Level 1 Managing a Quality Service
• Level 1 Delivering at Pace

Behaviours are the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.

To find out more about Civil Service Behaviours, please see this guide. Apprenticeship roles are assessed against the level 1 behaviours

For more information on how to apply we will be hosting a virtual Open Evening on Tuesday 26th March with tips on how to apply. To register please use the link. . 

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Grammar/punctuation - A written exercise may be used at interview stage to determine grammar/punctuation ability

Offer

All applicants who are interviewed will be scored. If you are successful you will receive confirmation via email of your provisional employment offer subject to completion of the appropriate pre-employment checks. Any offer is provisional subject to successful completion of pre-appointment checks. Without security clearance, you cannot complete your apprenticeship with the government department/agency.

The department/agency you are matched to will undertake your onboarding and clearance process. This can take up to 3 months or more to come through depending on the level of clearance needed. The security clearance level you will be required to undergo will depend on which department you are being posted to.

Please note: All offers are provisional until pre-appointment checks are completed. Start dates will only be discussed when checks are completed. You should not make any decisions to relocate until your checks have been completed and you have a start date agreed.

You will be required to provide evidence of all the qualifications stated in the eligibility criteria, failure to do so can result in you losing your place.

Posting

Your host department will be assigned to you based on location and merit. All successful candidates will be made one offer. If you choose not to accept this offer you will be removed from all merit lists. 

Further Information

Further information for access to the apprenticeship can be found here. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. Any move to Government Communication Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview may be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against the government. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms directly. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment

Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

The full level of security checks you will be asked to complete is dependent on the department you are matched to, however you could be asked to complete checks up to the level of Developed Vetting (DV).

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via gcsprofession.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.