Membership

Guidance on how to become a member of the Government Economic Service and the types of membership that are offered

Becoming a member of the Government Economic Service (GES) allows you to access the GES’s membership benefits.

GES membership is available only to civil servants, or those working on Civil Service terms and conditions. If you are interested in joining the Civil Service as an economist, see our working for GES pages

Staff joining the Civil Service do not automatically receive membership - they must create an account on the members website to become a member of the GES. If staff are joining your department you should encourage them to create an account within the first two weeks of beginning work.

There are two types of GES membership: full membership and associate membership. Additionally, we offer alumni membership.

The GES’s member database is the list of users on the members website. We do not hold any other lists of members.

Apply for membership

Eligibility requirements for Membership

To apply for full and associate GES membership, you must :

  • have a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.
  • have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics.
  • be a civil servant or be on Civil Service terms and conditions.
  • be in an economics role at the time of joining or have previously been a member of the GES and have chief economist support for re-joining.

Types of Membership

Full membership

Full GES membership signifies that you have passed an economics assessment that has been approved by the GES.

To become a full member you must meet the eligibility requirements and have completed one of the assessment routes currently approved:

  1. Your current grade is Higher Executive Officer (HEO) and you joined through a GES run Economics Assessment Centre (EAC) for graduates. This includes entry routes such as the GES Assistant Economist Scheme and the GES Fast Stream. This only applies where:
    • You were offered and accepted a role having passed the EAC, or:
    • You are already in post and remain in that post having passed the EAC.
  2. When you were recruited or promoted into your current grade you had a full member of the GES who was from another department on the interview panel. This only applies where:
    • The role you were recruited into was at grade Senior Executive Officer (SEO), Grade 7 or above.
    • The interview included testing on economic skills and analysis, using the GES Technical Framework and behaviours using the civil service success profiles.
    • The interview panel had three members, including two full members of the GES:
      • One GES panel member must have been from another department who effectively acts as an independent assessor.
      • Two panel members including the external member must have been more senior than the grade being assessed.
      • The third member must have been at least the grade being assessed.
    • The promotion or recruitment followed GES recruitment guidance.
  3. You passed a GES Badging Board at your current grade. Badging boards are organised and run by the Head of Profession/ Chief Economist at a department. Guidance for badging boards is available for departments, but badging boards will at a minimum:
    • Test candidates on their economic skills and analysis, using the GES Technical Framework. This consists of:
      • Written exercise.
      • Presentation.
      • Technical interview.
    • Boards have three members, including two full members of the GES:
      • One GES panel member must be from another department who effectively acts as an independent assessor.
      • Two panel members including the external member must be more senior than the grade being assessed
      • The third member must be at least the grade being assessed
    • Assess candidates of grade SEO, Grade 7, Grade 6 and SCS1
  4. Your current grade is Higher Executive Officer (HEO) and you passed the End Point Assessment (GES DAP EPA) of the GES Degree Level Apprenticeship.
  5. Your current grade is Senior Executive Officer (SEO) or higher, and you passed the End Point Assessment (EPA) of the Economics Master’s Apprenticeship Programme.
  6. Your current grade is SCS1 (Deputy Director) or above, and your membership application has been approved by the Joint-Heads of the GES. This process is organised by the GESR Team, with your application being supported by:
    • A copy of your full CV, containing evidence of having worked at senior levels as a professional Economist (in any sector)
    • Endorsement from the Head of Profession/ Chief Economist at your department
    • Self-certification of meeting the standard set by the GES Technical Framework at SCS level
    • Evidence of having demonstrated an ongoing commitment to CPD in Economics

GES Degree Level Apprentices and GES Sandwich Student Placement Scheme students who pass the entry assessments for the schemes are eligible for full membership for the duration of their contract. They are not required to meet the eligibility requirement of holding a degree.

GES Summer Placement Scheme students are not eligible for full membership.

Full membership fees are paid annually by your department.

Associate membership

Associate membership is for economists recruited directly to departments (not via a GES assessment route). To become an associate member you must:

  • Meet the eligibility requirements.
  • Have the support of the Head of Profession/ Chief Economist at your department (we no longer require evidence of this in writing).

Associate members have access to the same benefits and opportunities as full members, but they are not able to apply for jobs that require GES membership.

Associate members can become full members if they meet the full membership eligibility requirements.

Associate membership fees are paid annually by your department.

Alumni membership

Alumni membership is for former civil servants now working elsewhere who:

  • Were full members of the GES for at least 2 years, or:
  • Can evidence other substantive engagement with the GES.

Applications for alumni membership require a reference from a current GES member or alumni member.

Alumni members have a separate set of benefits and opportunities compared to full or associate members

Register for Alumni membership

Alumni membership is free of charge.

Membership Guidance

Updating your membership record

Login to the member website to update your details.

If you are unable to login, get in touch with us at [email protected]

Membership Cards

The GES does not issue membership cards or offer other forms of verification.

You can verify that someone is a member and their membership type using the directory on the member website. If membership status is listed on the website as “Full Member” or “Associate Member” then they are a member of the GES.

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