Economist Review

I work as an economist in the Civil Service. This involves carrying out in depth economic analysis of various aspects of the economy (in my case the Labour Market) and reporting this back to senior civil servants and ministers. My role also involves monitoring economic trends and briefing ministers on these.

Through the degree I have learnt a lot more about the theoretical side of economics, such as how maths and statistics are used to inform theory. Through work, I have learnt a lot about how economics is used practically to help make economic decisions, and how this differs to theory. I have also learnt some interesting things about the mechanics of government.

I find the programme enjoyable. The work we do is interesting and always quite varied. Despite being new as economists, we are still trusted with work that feels important and valuable which is nice. The uni work is also interesting, and there are plenty of events and socials organised that are enjoyable.

The programme is well structured- there is enough time to complete studies alongside work without it being too stressful, and there is a good balance between online and in-person study. I feel that the opportunity to change teams in our department midway through the programme is nice as well, as it means we can be exposed to two slightly different areas.

I get lots of support from the employer. People are always willing to help me tick off different skills and behaviours we need for the apprenticeship, and development chats are regular. People are also willing to do mock interviews or help talk about uni work and the Grade managers are good at dealing with queries.

The university gives plenty of support. Lecturers are helpful with queries and engage well. There is plenty of support at the uni available to people if they need it, and we get access to the same support services as full-time students do relating to issues both academic and non academic.

The degree helps give the economic context and basic knowledge that informs the decisions we make at work. Even if it is not always directly linked with our work, it still provides a background that is useful in order to know why decisions are being taken and how effective they will be.

Yes there are plenty. People are generally very sociable and after-work events are often organised. There are also sports teams to sign up for and lots of different networking events and networks. The GES also organise coffee chats which allow you to speak to people from other departments about their work.

Yes

I think its a very good place to work. There is lots of support and genuine care for our wellbeing, alongside doing interesting and important work. What we do is varied, and there is lots of opportunity to move around the government and work in different departments throughout your career.

I think being able to communicate your ideas well, both in written and spoken form, is the most important skill both in applying to the scheme and then working here. I also think being able to think critically about things and show an ability in working to deadlines under pressure.