Government Economic Service Summer Scheme
The GES summer placement scheme is aimed at economics students who are considering a career in the GES after graduation.
Applications are now closed. Register to be notified when the scheme opens again for applications in Autumn 2025.
Are you an economics undergraduate in your penultimate year on track for a 2:1 or above? Do you want to gain practical experience and use your economics skills to make a difference? Join the UK Government for a paid summer placement.
Summer placements last 6-12 weeks over the summer period and are paid. The scheme offers a unique opportunity to gain practical experience working in the Civil Service, applying economics to issues that matter.
Placements take place in a variety of UK Government departments across the UK. You could find yourself analysing data, providing advice on policy options, or preparing briefings for officials and ministers. Many summer placement students have come back to join us for a permanent role after finishing their degree. We offer:
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Meaningful work that benefits society
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Chance to gain professional economics experience
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Diverse and inclusive workplace
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Flexible working
For further information, please refer to the resources for applicants section.
Salary
London Minimum: £25,600 National Minimum: £23,610 Salaries vary according to department and location.
Location
Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Porton Down, Salford, Sheffield, Treforest, Wolverhampton, York
About the Government Economic Service (GES)
We are the professional body for economists in the Civil Service. With over 3,500 members, we are the largest recruiter of economists in the country. We recruit student, graduate, and apprentice economists and support their professional development in more than 50 government departments in locations across the UK.
The work of GES economists has been integral to understanding and responding to fast-moving events such as Covid-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and changes in financial markets. Economic analysis is central to policymaking on long-term challenges such as climate change, education, biodiversity and inequality.
Join our online Candidate Q&A Session
Join our Q&A session to find out more about the application process and what it is like to be a student economist in government. The online session will take place on:
Tuesday 8 October 2024, 12.30-13.30. Click here to join the meeting.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible applicants must:
Be on course for a 2:1 or 1st class degree, as indicated by first year exam results. Be studying for:
A degree in economics or, if it is an economics joint degree, economics must comprise at least 50% of the total course studied so far (year 1 and 2); or
A joint honours undergraduate degree at a Scottish university, where at least 50% of the modules studied or to be studied during the final two years of the course must be in economics; or
Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE) degree where at least 50% of the modules studied or to be studied during the final two years of the course must be in economics.
Please note: All degrees must include Macro and Microeconomics.
All the above eligibility must be demonstrated on the application form and supporting documents where applicable. e.g., If you are studying a joint honours undergraduate degree at a Scottish university or a PPE degree, you must include all modules for the final two years, without this information, your application will be discounted.
Individuals will need to demonstrate that they meet the relevant immigration requirements and their eligibility under the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs). Nationality requirements are explained in more detail on the Civil Service nationality rules webpage.
Please note: We do not offer sponsorships for our schemes.
How to Apply
The full application process is outlined in the . You can apply for this role on Civil Service Jobs.
During the application process you will be asked to complete an online numeracy test. Learn more about the numeracy test in this video
Please note: The test deadline is the same as the application deadline.
The GESR Recruitment Team work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Therefore, technical support will not be available outside of these hours.
Candidates who are unsuccessful at the sift stage will not be given any feedback or comments. If you do not hear from us within 2 months of deadline, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that some departments require candidates to have a UK footprint for 5 years to get security clearance, including the Home Office, Ministry of Defence and Office for National Statistics.
Resources for applicants
For further information about the recruitment process, please read our . New guidance will be published in January 2025.
Details about the kind of role you could be working in during your summer placement can be found in the attached . New job roles will be published in January 2025.
Equal opportunities
At the GES we welcome applications from anyone with the necessary qualifications, regardless of sex, marital status, race, colour, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or, in Northern Ireland, community background. There are no upper age limits to applying for any GES recruitment scheme.
Contact point for applicants
GESR Recruitment Team: [email protected]
Social media
Please follow our social media accounts to keep up to date with relevant information.
Complaints procedure
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact GESR by email at: [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
Updates to this page
Published 30 January 2014Last updated 18 October 2024 + show all updates
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Applications are now closed
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The Government Economic Service Summer Scheme is now open.
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The 2024 Government Economic Service Summer Scheme has now closed.
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Additional information has been added to the Eligibility Requirements section of this article.
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The Government Economic Service Summer Scheme is now open and details on how to apply for this years scheme have been added.
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Information on how to register your interest for the upcoming scheme has been added.
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New Q&A date added - 21 March
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Extended deadline from 20 March to 27 March
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Added section on our role in government and what we are looking for
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Link to this vacancy on Civil Service Jobs and Application guidance pack added
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Our 'commitment to you paragraph' removed.
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Webpage updated to say 2023 summer scheme due to open for applications w/c 27 February 2023
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2022 scheme open to 29 March 2022
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2021 scheme has been cancelled
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2021 scheme withdrawn
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The scheme has now closed.
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link to application form added
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information on the 2020 scheme dates and job descriptions included
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The 2020 scheme will open in February 2020 rather than Winter 2019.
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Social Media links added
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Updated job descriptions document
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Updated job descriptions document
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Added 'Job description' document
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Added Job description doc
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The GES Summer Student 2019 scheme will be at 12pm on Tuesday 05 Feb and close at 12pm on Thursday 14th Feb.
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I have replaced the title with 2019, replaced first line which was 'Information for students...' with 'This scheme is only open..' I have also removed the third line 'The GES Summer Vacation..' with 'The GES Summer Student 2019 scheme will be opening soon!'
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Summer scheme now closed- application form removed and text amnded to reflect this
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Application form has been added
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Job description and application guidance has been added. Application form to follow soon.
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Scheme has closed
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scheme details have been updated
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Details of the 2017 GES summer vacation placement scheme will be posted here in the week commencing 23 January. The scheme will open for receipt of applications on Wednesday 8 February.
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Details about 2016 application dates added.
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First published.