THE Government is launching a strategy to try and increase diversity in the civil service.
It is with working with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, which covers County Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead, along with four other combined authorities, to attract a broader range of talent into entry-level recruitment.
The diversity and inclusion strategy is being launched to try and get the public sector to draw on the widest range of talent from different geographical, social and ethnic backgrounds.
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Other plans to make the service more diverse is by recruiting 1,000 prison leavers across the UK by the end of next year, aimed at giving people a second chance in life, and expanding outreach to schools with a higher proportion of students on free school meals.
The Government plans to relocate 22,000 civil service jobs out of London – including to the economic campus in Darlington – and wants 50 per cent of senior roles to be held elsewhere in the UK by 2030.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: “It’s vital that the Civil Service reflects the people it serves right across the UK.
“That’s why we’re relocating Civil Service roles out of London, allowing us to draw better on the skills and talent of people across the country.
“We will also focus on diversity which allows government to understand real issues which affect people across the country, and this will help us tackle issues using a far broader perspective.”
The Government wants to see more people with different educational and skills backgrounds join its workforce.
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Darlington woman Lauren Kirkby, who has been working for the civil service since 2007 after deciding not to go to university, started working for the treasury this year.
With a background in working as an administration assistant in a young offenders institute, before taking on roles at a manufacturing company, the NHS, Disclosure and Barring service and the courts service, she is now the office manager for the Darlington economic campus team.
She said: “Having always lived in Darlington and County Durham I had read in numerous articles these jobs were imminent and looked out for them as I thought it was a unique opportunity, working for the Treasury outside of London.
“It’s an exciting time to join and the pride and excitement for the new campus is really clear to see from everyone here and in the London and Norwich Offices.”
There are plans to build the economic campus at Bank Top in Darlington. It will see roles from a number of departments, including the Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Business Department, the Department for Levelling Up, the Office of National Statistics and the Competition and Markets Authority, and most recently announced – the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
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