Civil Service Live North West 2009 in Manchester

Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service Sir Gus O’Donnell had a packed itinerary in Manchester but took time out to meet three teenage apprentices who are about to take up placements in the Civil Service. Joseph Townsend, 17, from Urmston, Manchester, Sarah Derbyshire, 17, from Denton, Manchester and Joseph Turner, 19, from Standish, Wigan will all be joining the Government Office of the North West.

Gus said: “I was delighted to meet these young apprentices who are so enthusiastic about working for the Civil Service. They are really keen to make a difference to people’s lives and I wish them all the best of luck in their future careers.

“A lot of people think the Civil Service is all about Sir Humphreys tucked away in Whitehall, but the vast majority of Civil Servants actually work outside London. Most civil servants work on the front line, delivering public services that have a vital role to play in helping places like the North West through the ongoing downturn.

“The civil servants I have met today here at the conference are real unsung heroes, dedicated men and women who process benefits, inform people about the tax credits they can claim, or find work for the unemployed. Many of them have also been dealing with the recent flooding in Cumbria, getting services up and running again and working towards recovery - a truly outstanding effort,” he added.

The one-day conference at Manchester Central conference and exhibition centre, which was organised by Civil Service World in partnership with the Cabinet Office and the National School of Government, brought together civil servants from across the region and beyond to share best practice and develop new ways of delivering services.

Delegates had a chance to learn from the best of the private and public sector through a variety of workshops and seminars. They also heard from a range of inspirational speakers including Sir Gus O’Donnell, Minister for the North West Phil Woolas and the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health Hugh Taylor.

An exhibition area was also available for visitors to find out about innovative work and techniques taking place across government.

The next Civil Service Live will be taking place at Kensington Olympia, London in July 2010.