Competition is as fierce as ever for elite training schemes, writes Francis Beckett

Traditionally the public sector offered graduates a safe, decently paid, long-term career with a good pension. The economic crisis and the public sector’s steady loss of power and prestige over recent years has damaged that image. We hear more about public authorities making staff redundant than training them for the future.

Some public sector graduate training has disappeared — the police scheme, for example, came to an end two years ago. But three big, prestigious public sector training schemes in the Civil Service, local government and the National Health Service will live to see another year, The Civil Service Fast Stream has for years been the holy grail — the nursery for permanent secretaries and cabinet secretaries of the future. Sir Humphrey Appleby almost certainly started his career that way, probably after obtaining a first-class degree at Oxford. But today a first from Oxford is not required: the Civil Service makes a point of saying that it does not care where you took your degree, a 2.2. will do fine and it does not matter how long ago you graduated or in what subject.

The figures bear this out. Last year only 5.7 per cent of Cambridge graduates and 4.9 per cent of Oxford graduates who applied were successful. Although these were among the highest percentages, they were beaten by the University of Dundee at 5.8 per cent. These percentages show that entry is fiercely competitive. More than 32,000 applicants vied for fewer than 500 places last year, almost 10,000 more than the previous year.

The Fast Stream is described as a “talent management programme for graduates who have the potential to become the future leaders of the Civil Service”. Successful candidates start on £25,000 to £27,000 a year.

Despite Whitehall cuts the Fast Stream is not contracting: the Civil Service expects to take 450 to 500 graduates next year.

This is more than can be said for the National Graduate Development Programme for local government, which took 47 graduates this year, compared with 83 entrants last year, and will probably cut back further in 2012. The final number depends on how many councils participate in the scheme — some may decide it is too expensive — and how many graduates each authority will take.

Here too, competition will be fierce: last year 83 entrants were chosen from 2,300 applicants. Again, a 2.2 from any university, in any subject, is sufficient. The scheme combines placements in a host local authority with a national programme of learning and development. Entrants can expect to be groomed for top jobs in local government or elsewhere in the public sector.

Places on the National Health Service’s Graduate Management Training Scheme are also much sought after. Last year 150 of the 15,000 applicants were accepted. A 2.2 from any university is required. NHS employees are eligible for the two-year programme, which extends to 30 months if opting for the finance specialism.

The starting salary is about £22,200 and you are employed on a fixed-term contract. There is no guarantee of a job at the end of the scheme, although most participants are offered a position and earn between £27,000 and £37,000.

Applications for the Civil Service for 2012 open on Monday, for the NHS this month and for local government next month.