Interest in the Civil Service Fast Stream has grown this year following three years of falling applications to the grad scheme.
Earlier this year, CSW broke the news that applications to the Fast Stream had had plummeted, with the 2023 scheme receiving less than half the number of applicants as in 2021. Former cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell told CSW the figures were "very worrying".
The latest statistics, for civil servants joining the scheme in 2024, have now been published and and they show a significant increase, from 26,899 applicants in 2023 to 44,362. This is a 65% increase but still well below the 59,603 applicants in 2021 and the high of 64,697 in 2020.
Between 2021 and 2023, applicants (applications by first preference) fell in all schemes by between 45% and 78%.
This year, applications by first choice have risen in all of the pathways by between 26% and 156%, with interest in five schemes going up by 100% or more.
Fast Stream applicants (first preference) by scheme
| Scheme |
Applicants (by first preference) in 2023 |
Applications (by first preference) in 2024 |
% increase in applicants to scheme (by first preference) |
| Generalist (split into two schemes for 2024: Government Policy and Operational Delivery) |
5,255 |
10,427 (Government Policy: 8,375; Operational Delivery: 2,052) |
98% |
| Diplomatic and Development |
7,367 |
10,381 |
41% |
| Science and Engineering |
674 |
1,350 |
100% |
| Government Economic Service |
639 |
803 |
26% |
| Government Statistical Scheme |
262 |
672 |
156% |
| Government Social Research |
1,582 |
2,395 |
51% |
| Government Operational Research Service |
172 |
370 |
115% |
| DDTAC |
2,154 |
5,401 |
151% |
| Commercial |
1,017 |
2,001 |
97% |
| Finance |
1,357 |
2,170 |
60% |
| Human Resources |
2,181 |
4,581 |
110% |
| Project Delivery |
1,626 |
2,882 |
77% |
| Property |
629 |
992 |
58% |
Following CSW’s report on the statistics earlier this year, then-Cabinet Office permanent secretary and civil service chief operating officer Alex Chisholm was asked about the data during an Institute for Government talk. He said he was not worried about the drop in applicants and that he hadn’t seen any signs that it had affected the quality of the grad scheme.
Chisholm said the scheme was “really popular” and regularly assessed as being the either number one or number two graduate scheme in the country. Last week the scheme retained its number-two position in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers rankings.
Total hires have dropped despite the increase in applicants. A total of 986 applicants were recommended for appointment out of the 44,362 candidates in 2024. This compares to a total of 1,084 applicants recommended for appointment out of 26,899 hopefuls in 2023.
The stats also show that the Cabinet Office has for a second year running met its target for more than 50% of successful external candidates to the Fast Stream to be from STEM backgrounds. In 2024, 51% of fast stream external hires had a science, technology engineering or maths qualification, compared to 63% in 2023.
Applications for the next intake of the Civil Service Fast Stream open on 10 October and this year's applicants will have two new options: a cybersecurity track, which has been separated from digital, data and technology; and a new risk management pathway.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “As our application window for 2025 opens, our primary focus remains on attracting high-quality candidates who have the potential to become future civil service managers and leaders.’’