GES Sandwich Student Placement 2027-2028
About the job
Job summary
Are you an economics undergraduate in your penultimate year? Do you want to see the theory you have learned come to life? Join the UK Government for a paid student placement that connects your skills to meaningful change.
The Government Economic Service (GES) offers the opportunity to spend a year collaborating with experienced economists in a government department before returning to your studies. You'll be doing work that shapes real policies, supporting decisions that will touch millions of lives, and preparing briefings that reach the highest levels of government. Your insights and understanding will genuinely matter.
Job description
On the GES Sandwich Student Placement scheme, you will gain hands-on professional experience working on the economic issues that matter most—climate change, levelling up, healthcare funding, and social mobility. You will see how economic theory can shape practical solutions for society's most pressing issues.
We offer:
- Meaningful work where you can directly improve people's lives, from addressing inequality to building sustainable growth.
- A secure full-time paid placement for up to 12 months.
- An inclusive workplace that celebrates different perspectives and backgrounds, with flexible working arrangements that fit around your life.
Person specification
This scheme is only open to students in their penultimate year of undergraduate study.
You must be on course for a 2:1 or 1st class outcome, as indicated by your results so far.
You must be studying one of the following:
- An undergraduate honours degree in economics
- An undergraduate economics joint honours degree, where economics must comprise at least 50% of the credit value of modules studied and to be studied over the full course of your degree.
- An undergraduate Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE) honours degree where at least 50% of the credit value of modules studied and to be studied over the full course of your degree must be in economics.
You must have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics to be eligible.
Nationality requirements
Applicants must also:
- Meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules: so be a UK or Irish citizen, a citizen of a Commonwealth country, or a European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) citizen eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme.
- Have the right to live and work in the UK, without the need for employer sponsorship.
- If a holder of a student visa - be allowed under the conditions of the visa to undertake a full-time paid sandwich placement in the UK without a work permit.
If successful, you may be required to undergo security vetting. You therefore must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to CTC/SC/DV level depending on the department you are allocated to.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- International Economics (only applicable for candidates who have selected FCDO as a department preference).
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified, applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Technical skills. The selection process comprises the following stages:
- Complete the online application form
- Sit an online numerical test.
- If you pass the online numerical test, your application will be sent for sifting. Assessors will consider your degree eligibility and score the behaviour questions.
- If you pass the sift stage, you will be invited to an online interview. Further information on what to expect at interview will be sent at a later stage to candidates invited to attend.
- Candidates who are successful at interview will be assigned to a government department. While we try to assign candidates to one of their department and location preferences, this is not always possible.
Once assigned, candidates are contacted directly by departments and advised of the process to be followed for a formal placement offer to be made. Please note—assignment to a department is not a formal offer as this depends on the availability of suitable positions and the successful completion of all pre-appointment checks, including security vetting.
Sectors
Locations
Sectors
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About the job
Job summary
Are you an economics undergraduate in your penultimate year? Do you want to see the theory you have learned come to life? Join the UK Government for a paid student placement that connects your skills to meaningful change.
The Government Economic Service (GES) offers the opportunity to spend a year collaborating with experienced economists in a government department before returning to your studies. You'll be doing work that shapes real policies, supporting decisions that will touch millions of lives, and preparing briefings that reach the highest levels of government. Your insights and understanding will genuinely matter.
Job description
On the GES Sandwich Student Placement scheme, you will gain hands-on professional experience working on the economic issues that matter most—climate change, levelling up, healthcare funding, and social mobility. You will see how economic theory can shape practical solutions for society's most pressing issues.
We offer:
- Meaningful work where you can directly improve people's lives, from addressing inequality to building sustainable growth.
- A secure full-time paid placement for up to 12 months.
- An inclusive workplace that celebrates different perspectives and backgrounds, with flexible working arrangements that fit around your life.
Person specification
This scheme is only open to students in their penultimate year of undergraduate study.
You must be on course for a 2:1 or 1st class outcome, as indicated by your results so far.
You must be studying one of the following:
- An undergraduate honours degree in economics
- An undergraduate economics joint honours degree, where economics must comprise at least 50% of the credit value of modules studied and to be studied over the full course of your degree.
- An undergraduate Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE) honours degree where at least 50% of the credit value of modules studied and to be studied over the full course of your degree must be in economics.
You must have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics to be eligible.
Nationality requirements
Applicants must also:
- Meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules: so be a UK or Irish citizen, a citizen of a Commonwealth country, or a European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) citizen eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme.
- Have the right to live and work in the UK, without the need for employer sponsorship.
- If a holder of a student visa - be allowed under the conditions of the visa to undertake a full-time paid sandwich placement in the UK without a work permit.
If successful, you may be required to undergo security vetting. You therefore must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to CTC/SC/DV level depending on the department you are allocated to.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- International Economics (only applicable for candidates who have selected FCDO as a department preference).
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified, applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Technical skills. The selection process comprises the following stages:
- Complete the online application form
- Sit an online numerical test.
- If you pass the online numerical test, your application will be sent for sifting. Assessors will consider your degree eligibility and score the behaviour questions.
- If you pass the sift stage, you will be invited to an online interview. Further information on what to expect at interview will be sent at a later stage to candidates invited to attend.
- Candidates who are successful at interview will be assigned to a government department. While we try to assign candidates to one of their department and location preferences, this is not always possible.
Once assigned, candidates are contacted directly by departments and advised of the process to be followed for a formal placement offer to be made. Please note—assignment to a department is not a formal offer as this depends on the availability of suitable positions and the successful completion of all pre-appointment checks, including security vetting.
