An article from Civil Service World revealed that for the second year in a row applications plummeted. The 2023 scheme received less than half the number of applicants as in 2021.
Interest in the scheme has dropped for three years in a row. Applications reached peak in 2020 with just under 65,000 applicants. In 2021 this fell to 59,000 and 39,000 and 27,000 in 2022 and 2023 respectively,
This has been impacted by the Johnson government’s decision to pause the scheme which was reversed by Sunak’s government.
The collapse in applications may be a good sign for applicants as success rates have increased with the Fast Stream success rate higher than ever before.
Despite this fall, the Civil Service Fast Stream remains ranked the second best grad scheme by the Times.
Why is interest plunging?
Along with falling real-terms pay and the increase in criticism of civil servants in recent years, other reasons for the nosedive suggested by those CSW spoke to include the disruption to the scheme when it was paused in summer 2022 and the Covid pandemic.
First, let’s consider the infamous pausing of the scheme under Boris Johnson’s administration.
This disruption led to recruitment for the Fast Stream starting in December, rather than the usual launch in September/October, and candidates having just a 15-day window to apply, around half the usual period.
Since most most grad schemes in the UK launch in September/October, this also meant the Fast Stream missed marketing opportunities and potential recruits may have also prioritised other schemes which opened earlier.
Jordan Urban, a researcher at the Institute for Government, told CSW it “seems highly likely” that the fall in applications from 2022 to 2023 is partly due to this disruption.
“It was reinstated without missing a year, but a process that is usually smooth from both candidates’ and HR’s perspective was anything but,” Urban added. He warned there will “also likely to be some lasting reputational damage from that episode, especially given that it seems possible that people applying for the Fast Stream with a civil service career in mind value stability in their employment more highly than the average person”.
Many argue this is down to a number of factors including COVID, Desire to work for the current government and pay
Whilst this may be viewed as a negative story by many, it could actually be a good thing for graduates, Speaking to many people on campus they have told me about how competitive this scheme is, as competition falls it is likely job prospects will increase.