Civil Service online induction pilot set to expand

The Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is piloting a new online course to help new joiners to grasp what it means to be a civil servant. During summer 2021 it has been piloted with over a thousand staff from 30 departments and agencies.

Initial feedback has shown a sharp rise in confidence levels in key areas of knowledge such as the rights and obligations of civil servants, the benefits of being a civil servant, and understanding the wider structures of government.

“I thought this course was an excellent introduction to the Civil Service, particularly for someone like me who has never worked in the CS before. There are definitely some parts that I will go back to in the future and I have saved some of the articles for future reading.”

“I found this course really helpful and informative, and the quizzes at the end of each section were a great way to consolidate my understanding. I feel that I have learnt a lot more about how parliament, the government and Civil Service all work together. This will be a useful resource to come back to once I have started my role.”

Feedback has also been positive on the online course's flexibility and accessibility, with it being broken down into bite-sized chunks, and in the way it promotes peer-to-peer learning within the Civil Service.

“Loved the variation of content presentation! I feel much more connected with the current Civil Service and I’m more excited than ever to begin.”

GSCU hopes to make the new induction course available more widely from early 2022.