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Last updated: 24 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 at senior levels of minority ethnic staff, women and staff with disabilities, and to value the diverse skills, experience and background of all who work in the Civil Service.
Overall, the proportion of applications from women continued to increase. In 2006, 44.8 per cent of all applications came from women compared with 42.5 per cent in 2005. Women made up 50.4 per cent of those recommended for appointment in 2006, compared with 43.7 per cent in 2005.
In 2006, 46.7 per cent of applicants to the Graduate Fast Stream were women, as were 57.7 per cent of those recommended for appointment.
In the Statisticians scheme women represented 44.3 per cent of applications and 32 per cent of those recommended for appointment. In the Economists' scheme, women accounted for 36.6 per cent of applicants and 35.5 per cent of successful candidates. [See Chart 2]
The Analysis by Gender table[PDF 92KB, 4 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 Graduate Fast Stream, but not as successful in the Economist, Statistician and GCHQ schemes. Overall, 3.8 per cent of female applicants were recommended for appointment, compared with 3.1 per cent of male applicants.
Overall, applications from ethnic minority groups fell slightly from 14.9 per cent in 2005 to 13.7 per cent in 2006. Despite this, however, the proportion of successful candidates from ethnic minority groups increased. Of those recommended for appointment, 11.1 per cent were from ethnic minority groups: up from 7.1 per cent in 2005. [See Chart 3]
In 2006, 13 per cent of applicants to the Graduate Fast Stream were from an ethnic minority, and they represented 7.4 per cent of those recommended for appointment: more than double the proportion in 2005.
In the Statisticians scheme, ethnic minority groups represented 23.8 per cent of applications and 8 per cent of those recommended for appointment. The representation of ethnic minority groups remained highest in the Economists scheme, in which 30.3 per cent of applicants and 22.3 per cent of successful candidates were from an ethnic minority.
The proportion of applicants not declaring their ethnic origin remained unchanged from 2005 at 1.3 per cent.
The Analysis by Ethnicity table[PDF 92KB, 4 pages] shows the success of applicants by ethnicity at each stage of the Fast Stream selection process.
Overall, ethnic minority applicants were less successful than white candidates as they progressed through the selection stages. Of those recommended for appointment, 2.8 per cent were from an ethnic minority, compared with 3.5 per cent of white applicants. However, this represents an improvement, since in 2005 only 1.9 per cent of ethnic minority applicants were recommended for appointment.
Overall, the percentage of applicants declaring a disability increased by 1 per cent from 2005, to 2.6 per cent. The proportion of candidates recording a disability and recommended for appointment increased from 6.7 per cent in 2005 to 7.4 per cent in 2006.
The number of Graduate Fast Stream applicants to declare a disability was 241, or 2.5 per cent of the total, and compares with 2.6 per cent in 2005. Of Graduate Fast Stream candidates recommended for appointment, 32 (9.8 per cent) had declared a disability; an increase from 8.9 per cent last year. 230 candidates with a disability requested exemption from the online test.
In the Statisticians scheme, 2.4 per cent of applicants declared a disability, as did 8 per cent of those recommended for appointment. In the Economist scheme, the corresponding numbers were 2.3 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively and those for the GCHQ scheme 2.6 per cent and zero per cent.
The Analysis by Disability table[PDF 92KB, 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, 9.8 per cent of applicants with a declared disability were recommended for appointment, compared with 3.2 per cent of non–disabled applicants.
The median age on application for the Graduate Fast Stream was 22 years, and the median age of successful candidates was 23 years. Candidates are not required to declare their age, but of those who did the oldest successful candidate was 42 at time of application. 1
Applications for the 2006 Fast Stream came from about 100 UK universities and a wide range of academic backgrounds. The candidates recommended for appointment came from over 60 different universities. Overall, applications from Oxford and Cambridge Universities remained unchanged from 2005 at 12.4 per cent of the total in 2006. The proportion of successful candidates from Oxford and Cambridge Universities increased slightly to 31.1 per cent in 2006 from 29.8 per cent in 2005.
The most common degree disciplines (58 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, 40 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 86.8 per cent of its successful candidates had an Economics–based first degree.
The Analysis by University table[PDF 92KB, 3 pages] lists the universities of first degree both of applicants and of those recommended for appointment.
The Analysis by Degree Type table[PDF 83KB, 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 87KB, 2 pages] show diversity trends in the Fast Stream as a whole during the last nine years.
Chart 4 shows the number of applicants to the Fast Stream as a whole in each of the last nine years.
Chart 5 shows the gender distribution of candidates recommended for appointment since 1998.
The Graduate Fast Stream Diversity Trends tables[PDF 87KB, 2 pages] provide diversity trends in the Graduate Fast Stream during the last nine years.
1 Figures provided by Parity plc
2 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.
3 2005 and 2006 percentages based on candidates who declared their gender (a change to the method of data collection)