Cabinet Office has announced a major tech and digital skills drive via new apprenticeships and talent programmes.
By June 2025, central government aims to recruit 2,500 new tech colleagues, with the boost being framed as part of the Minister for the Cabinet Office’s vision to modernise and reform the Civil Service (as set out in a July speech).
The push will begin with a new digital apprenticeship programme. This alone will be expected to boost tech capability by at least 500 new early career civil service entrants into digital roles this financial year across central government.
Applications are also now open for a new digital secondments programme pilot, which is designed to bring in high level digital skills from the private sector.
Meanwhile the digital apprenticeship route will provide the opportunity for both civil servants and new entrants to be recruited into the most in demand data and technology roles in central government, such as cyber security technologists and software developers.
The remaining 2,000 opportunities will include 1,300 additional digital apprenticeship programme roles, plus 700 roles created through an expansion of existing departmental digital programmes, such as the Software Developer Programme.
Both the digital secondments programme and new apprenticeship recruitment drive will also support a new target that going forward, at least 6% of the overall Civil Service workforce should be members of the digital, data and technology profession.
“We want the next generation of tech talent to be able to learn their trade helping the government make services better for the public,” said parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office, Alex Burghart. "These apprenticeships are going to build great new digital careers and capabilities both in Whitehall and across the country."
The Civil Service Digital, Data and Technology profession has grown by 19% between April 2022 and April 2023, and over 600 senior civil servants have been upskilled on digital and data essentials.
Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin added that the announcement “drives forward our plans for a modern civil service” that will be equipped with the skills and capabilities needed to harness the power of digital, data and technology.
The news comes as the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) publishes an update to its 2022-25 roadmap for digital and data.
The updated roadmap announces the publication of a new framework for the government’s use of Generative AI like ChatGPT, to ensure departments can confidently and responsibly use this technology to improve services.
It also introduces a requirement for departments using out of date IT systems to boost plans for modernising technology, in a bid to save government time and money.
According to the Cabinet Office announcement significant progress has been made at the centre since the launch of the roadmap a year ago. It notes a number of initiatives including the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs being able to enhance its digital and technical apprenticeships offering through the Digital, Data and Technology Services Academy, with a special focus on cloud and security roles.
Analysis undertaken when the roadmap was published in 2022 estimated potential savings of over £1 billion of taxpayer money through the digital transformation of services, by eliminating the unnecessary costs of paper-based services and processes.
