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Last updated: 21 November 2008
The Civil Service is committed to providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of ethnicity or nationality, gender, transgender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, marital status and working patterns. It aims to listen to, value and respect everyone as individuals with the potential to contribute to a top quality public service.
The Cabinet Office is responsible for ensuring that the Civil Service as a whole meets the Government's commitment to achieving greater representation of minority ethnic staff, women and staff with disabilities at senior levels, and to value the diverse skills, experience and background of all who work in the Civil Service.
Overall, an increase in the proportion of applications from women reversed the downward trend seen over recent years. In 2005, 42.5 per cent of all applications came from women compared with 38.9 per cent in 2004. Women made up 43.7 per cent of those recommended for appointment in 2005, compared with 41.5 per cent in 2004.
In 2005, 44.1 per cent of applicants to the Graduate Fast Stream were women, as were 44 per cent of those recommended for appointment. In the Statisticians scheme women represented 44.3 per cent of applications and 31.1 per cent of those recommended for appointment. In the Economists' scheme, women accounted for 36.2 per cent of applicants and 44.4 per cent of successful candidates. [See Chart 2]
Chart 2 – Women: Applications and Appointments by Competition
The Analysis by Gender table[PDF 67KB, 3 pages] shows the success of applicants by gender at each stage of the Fast Stream selection process.
In terms of their progress through the selection process, female applicants were more successful than their male counterparts in the Economist and GCHQ schemes but not as successful in the Statistician scheme. In the Graduate Fast Stream, male and female were exactly the same. Overall, 4 per cent of female applicants were recommended for appointment, compared with 3.8 per cent of male applicants.
In 2005, the proportion of both applications and successful candidates from ethnic minority groups increased from 2004 levels. Overall, applications increased from 14.6 per cent in 2004 to 14.9 per cent in 2005. Of those recommended for appointment, 7.1 per cent were from ethnic minority groups: up from 5.4 per cent in 2004. [See Chart 3]
In 2005, 13.4 per cent of applicants to the Graduate Fast Stream were from an ethnic minority, and they represented 3.6 per cent of those recommended for appointment. In the Statisticians scheme, ethnic minority groups represented 21 per cent of applications and 6.7 per cent of those recommended for appointment. The representation of ethnic minority groups remained highest in the Economists scheme, where 34.3 per cent of applicants and 17.9 per cent of successful candidates were from an ethnic minority.
The proportion of applicants not declaring their ethnic origin fell to 1.3 percent from 2.3 per cent in 2004.
Chart 3 – Applications and Appointments by Ethnicity
Applications
Recommended for Appointment
The Analysis by Ethnicity table[PDF 69KB, 4 pages] shows the success of applicants by ethnicity at each stage of the Fast Stream selection process.
In the Fast Stream as a whole, ethnic minority applicants were less successful than white candidates as they progressed through the selection stages. 1.9 per cent of ethnic minority applicants were recommended for appointment, compared with 4.2 per cent of white applicants. Of applicants whose ethnic origin was unknown, 4.3 per cent were recommended for appointment.
Overall, the percentage of applicants declaring a disability has fallen from 3.2 per cent in 2004 to 2.5 per cent in 2005. The proportion of candidates recording a disability and recommended for appointment decreased from 7.3 per cent in 2004 to 6.7 per cent in 2005.
The number of Graduate Fast Stream applicants to declare a disability was 215, or 2.6 per cent of the total, and compares with 3.5 per cent in 2004. Of the Graduate Fast Stream candidates recommended for appointment, 30 (8.9 per cent) had declared a disability; a similar proportion to last year. 180 candidates with a disability requested exemption from the online test.
In the Statisticians scheme, 1.9 per cent of applicants declared a disability, as did 4.4 per cent of those recommended for appointment. In the Economist scheme, the corresponding numbers were 2 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively and those for the GCHQ scheme 2.4 per cent and zero per cent.
The Analysis by Disability table[PDF 70KB, 4 pages] shows the success of applicants with a recorded disability at each stage of the Fast Stream selection process.
Applicants with a recorded disability were relatively more successful at the Assessment Centre than others. Overall, 10.5 per cent of applicants with a declared disability were recommended for appointment, compared with 3.7 per cent of other applicants.
The median age on application for the Graduate Fast Stream was 22 years, and the median age of successful candidates was 23 years.1
Applications for the 2005 Fast Stream came from over 100 UK universities and a wide range of academic backgrounds. The candidates recommended for appointment came from over 50 different universities. Overall, applications from Oxford and Cambridge Universities fell from 16.1 per cent of the total in 2004 to 12.4 per cent in 2005. The proportion of successful candidates from Oxford and Cambridge Universities fell to 29.8 per cent in 2005 from 35.8 per cent in 2004.
The most common degree disciplines (53.3 per cent) amongst those recommended for appointment to the Graduate Fast Stream were Humanities and Social Science. In the Statisticians scheme, which requires a numerate degree, 64.4 per cent of those recommended for appointment had a background in Mathematical Sciences. A background in Economics is a requirement of the Economist scheme, and 82.1 per cent of its successful candidates had an Economics–based first degree.
The Analysis by University table[PDF 69KB, 3 pages] lists the universities of first degree both of applicants and of those recommended for appointment.
The Analysis by Degree Type table[PDF 59KB, 1 page] lists the degree types of applicants and successful candidates, using the categories of the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
The Fast Stream Diversity Trends tables [PDF xxKB, xx pages] show diversity trends in the Fast Stream as a whole during the last eight years.
Chart 4 shows the number of applicants to the Fast Stream as a whole in each of the last eight years.
Chart 4 – Number of Applications by Year and Gender 1
Chart 5 shows the gender distribution of candidates recommended for appointment since 1998.
Chart 5 – Success Rates by Year and Gender 2
The Graduate Fast Stream Diversity Trends tables[PDF 65KB, 2 pages] provide diversity trends in the Graduate Fast Stream during the last eight years.
Footnotes
1 Figures provided by Parity plc
Graph footnotes
1 The Graduate Fast Stream selection process changed in 2005, and the figure provided is the closest possible equivalent to that of previous years. An application is deemed to have been submitted if a candidate has completed the self–assessment and proceeds to take the online tests. See explanation of the process.
2 2005 percentages calculated using candidates with known gender (a change to the method of data collection)