Website of the UK government

About the government sector

There is something for everyone in either central or local government.

Central government

Central government creates laws and policy that govern the nation. There are a lot of different jobs available, some of which are shown in the section below. You can work for national departments such as the Department of Health, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Environment Agency.

Local government

You could also work for one of the 468 councils that provide the day to day services for the communities they cover, such as education, waste collection and town planning.

Jobs in government

There are many jobs in government and as such there isn’t just one set of skills that you will need. For example, government jobs include:

• admin officer
  
• researcher
  
• project manager
  
• youth worker
  
• arts officer
  
• countryside ranger
  
• election manager

Advantages of working in government

There are many advantages to working in government. For example:

• excellent opportunities - there are opportunities for people with all levels of education to work in central and local government, you don’t need to have a degree
  
• jobs across the UK - people who work for central government work all across the country, 80 per cent of central government jobs are based outside London
  
• not always office based -  some jobs involve you working outdoors – for example, on environmental work, you could also work in schools or hospitals
• career prospects - government jobs offer valuable training opportunities

Real-life examples

Ian Soames, Librarian

I work for my local council, running a village library. I started out with just a couple of GCSEs but I now have an NVQ Level 3. I love getting to know the locals and I especially enjoying running special workshops for kids. The pay is good at around £23,000.

Ella Yemani, Support Manager

I work for the Youth Justice Board. When I left school started working with young offenders. I loved it but wanted to go further. This means I’m responsible for running several staff teams. I need to be a good communicator and very well organised. I earn £30,000.

Find a job in this sector

Find out more about training and careers in government by visiting the websites below:

• Start a job and skills search Opens new window

• The Recruitment and Employment Confederation Opens new window

Central government

• Government skills Opens new window

• More information on the Civil Service Opens new window

• Scottish Executive Opens new window

Local government

• The official local government careers site Opens new window

• My Job Scotland Opens new window

More help and support

For more information on working in this sector and gaining the skills you need, contact your local Jobcentre Plus office and talk to an adviser.

They can also tell you what help and support is available to you to help you into work.

You can talk to a Jobcentre Plus adviser by calling 0845 606 0234.

• Find your local Jobcentre Plus office Opens new window

• Help and advice when applying for a job