Week 1 wisdom from CDDO and GDS’ 2024 Summer Interns
Each year the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and the Government Digital Service (GDS) run a paid summer internship programme, giving people the opportunity to see what a career in the Civil Service is like.
This year’s interns consist of both recent graduates as well as those still at university, and are spread across a wealth of teams from business operations such as finance and communications to digital recruitment programmes, and risk and reporting functions, whilst our roles differ greatly, our experiences prove that we all have a lot in common!
For this blog, I ask some of my fellow interns to share their experience. For me, I’ve found that starting a new role in an unfamiliar organisation can be an intimidating prospect, but we agree as a collective that CDDO and GDS have made us feel like valued contributors to the departments already:
I have been amazed at how welcoming my team are and how invested they are in making this a good experience for me - Abby Rosser, GDS Internal Communications
I was immediately struck by the clear sense of community within the organisation - Muskan Sheikh, GDS Business Operations Team
First meetings
Working in CDDO and GDS ‘is not all about coding - Anna Mackenzie, CDDO Digital Secondments
The current interns come from a range of educational backgrounds, not restricted to students of STEM subjects, proving that professions within digital services are open to all. Whilst some were initially concerned that the role may not be suited to their skillset, our first week has proven that working in CDDO and GDS ‘is not all about coding’.
So far the first week has included a traditional induction of meetings with the team to learn more about the organisation as well as joining meetings with external partners. On top of this it's an exciting time to be in government, with a new government in place following the election. As a result of this, we also had a visit from the new Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle MP. We have definitely been kept busy!
Civil Service Live
A common theme within our Week 1 experiences was attending Civil Service Live, the annual conference for all staff which allows Civil Servants to learn from one another. Between us, we attended various talks including ‘Real World Policy Making’, ‘Transforming Government Workplaces and Property’, and ‘Introduction to Devolution and Intergovernmental Working’. These talks helped us to understand both the wider functions of the Civil Service as well as where our departments fit into the wider organisation:
[It] has encouraged me to reflect on the meaningful change that my work might assist with - Jude Taylor, CDDO Capability Team
Why digital and data?
But what specifically is it about working in digital and data that the summer interns think is valuable? In short, we are passionate about the department’s core mission of making digital services work for the public, and we are well-placed to act in a cross-government manner to ensure that all civil servants are competent in digital skills.
[We] strive to guarantee that all citizens, especially those with impairments and less tech-savvy people, can use digital services. The culture of innovation within the Civil Service cannot be overemphasised - Adebukola Raifu, CDDO Capability Team
Looking forward
So with introductions made and initial meetings had, it can be said that the summer interns have gotten a flavour for working life in the Civil Service. Now over the next six to eight weeks we are well placed within supportive departments to expand our skills both specific to digital and data as well as more broadly to apply to the Civil Service as a whole. Here are some of the things we are looking forward to:
To find specific areas of government I’d be most interested in finding a future career in - Nathan Sarsfield, CDDO Capability Team
To gain a better understanding of how the department works as a whole - Zack Parker, CDDO Portfolio Management Team
To add substantive value to my team - Reese Wong, CDDO Capability Team
To complete lots of work managing Parliamentary Correspondence, and complete the ambitious task of creating a new software system! - Aimee Cornish, GDS Risk and Reporting Team
The internship programmes run in these departments have so far proven to both meet and exceed our expectations. Our work has been challenging and rewarding, and every intern has highlighted the immense support provided by our colleagues in easing the transition to working life. Week 1 has created a solid foundation from which our skill sets can be developed within the Civil Service, and we cannot wait to see how much we have learnt by Weeks 6/8!
To find out more, please visit the Summer Internship Programme web-pages.
