Skills for Life: Our GCS apprentices

This week (6-12 February 2023) sees National Apprenticeship Week 2023, the 16th annual celebration of apprenticeships which brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. 

The Government Communication Service (GCS) is playing its full part in the provision and development of apprenticeships for all those either entering the comms profession or indeed developing it through their careers. Specifically, support for GCS apprentices forms a crucial component of the GCS strategy 2022-2025.

Our apprentices’ tales

So, what of our GCS apprentices themselves? Here we put a spotlight on a few of them to discover their experiences so far, the highlights of their hard work and their plans for the future.

Afsanah Ali (DWP)

Halle Johnson (DEFRA)

Rufus Duncan (MOD)

These experiences show the scale of inspiration and achievement of our apprentices in the GCS. As well as helping them in their careers, apprenticeships are a great asset to the GCS community. 

As Gemmaine Walsh, GCS Chief Operating Officer (COO), says: “We know that our GCS apprentices value what they’re doing to develop their careers and I’m so inspired by them talking passionately about their experiences and how they’re developing themselves into brilliant communicators. Apprenticeships are a key initiative in our GCS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy to help us focus on and strengthen diversity and representation in our early talent pipeline, from entry-level to senior civil servants and our most senior comms leaders. 

“The aim of our GCS scheme is to bring school leavers and those considering a career change into our profession, to begin a career in government communications where you get to help shape policies and deliver communications that can have a positive real life impact for people. So far this year we’ve placed apprentices in Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, York, Exeter, Lichfield, Bristol and London, but we want to keep pushing as many opportunities as possible throughout the whole country so even more colleagues have the chance to learn and develop.”

What about you?

Are you interested in becoming a GCS apprentice or getting involved in supporting and developing one? Please see the GCS website’s Apprenticeship page for more details. 

The National Apprenticeship Week website has more information and a toolkit to help you plan and promote your activities. Make sure you showcase the brilliant work that GCS apprentices do across your channels!