Career Area
PUBLIC SERVICES
The public services are of central importance and provide structure and support to modern democratic society. The Uniformed public services include:
- Emergency services: the police, fire, ambulance/paramedics
- The armed forces: the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force
- Other uniformed services: the Prison Service, HM Revenue & Customs, Coast Guard, Private Security Services
Each of the uniformed public services has its own selection processes and requires specific skills, qualities and qualifications.
Non-uniformed public services include local and national government
CoVEs (Centres of Vocational Excellence) for Public Services in the South East are:
- Bracknell & Wokingham College
- Chiltern Training Ltd
- Isle of Wight College
- South Downs College
- West Kent College
- Brooklands College
- Godalming College
- Central Sussex College
Source:Edexcel/jobs4u
This area looks at just four different job areas in the Public Service sector, with three possible career routes for each:
Click above to go to the Diplomas
You can get your qualifications by taking vocational courses or studying while in employment as well as by the more traditional full time education route. The important thing is to choose a route that suits you.
Remember these are career pathways, and you can get on or off the pathway at any point!
Mature students without formal qualifications are advised to talk to their local nextstep provider www.nextstep.org.uk One year Access to Higher Education courses give adults without formal qualifications the chance to study at degree level. Contact individual colleges and universities to discuss their entry requirements.
Additional sources of information
Skills for Justice www.skillsforjustice.com is the Sector Skills Council for the Justice sector.
The Home Office www.homeoffice.gov.uk is responsible for the police service, crime reduction, immigration and asylum, and identity and passports.
The Ministry of Justice www.justice.gov.uk focuses on the criminal justice system, and on reducing re-offending.
The following sites have information on training and recruitment:
Emergency services
Fire service www.fireservice.co.uk
Ambulance Service - NHS Careers www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Police recruitment www.policecouldyou.co.uk
Fire service www.fireservice.co.uk
Ambulance Service - NHS Careers www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Police recruitment www.policecouldyou.co.uk
Armed forces
Army www.army.mod.uk
Royal Air Force www.raf.mod.uk
Royal Navy/Royal Marines www.royal-navy.mod.uk
Army www.army.mod.uk
Royal Air Force www.raf.mod.uk
Royal Navy/Royal Marines www.royal-navy.mod.uk
Other uniformed services
Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs www.hmrc.gov.uk
Maritime and Coastguard Agency www.mcga.gov.uk
HM Prison Service www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk
Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs www.hmrc.gov.uk
Maritime and Coastguard Agency www.mcga.gov.uk
HM Prison Service www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk
Central and local government
Government skills www.government-skills.gov.uk
Civil Service Careers www.civilservice.gov.uk/careers
Local Government Association www.lga.gov.uk
Government skills www.government-skills.gov.uk
Civil Service Careers www.civilservice.gov.uk/careers
Local Government Association www.lga.gov.uk
What else should I be doing?
There’s a lot you can do to help your public service career outside formal learning:
- volunteer in the community
- join a uniformed youth organisation such as the Scouts www.scouts.org.uk or Guides www.girlguiding.org.uk
- take part in Aimhigher activities, such as summer schools and taster days
- improve your teamwork and personal skills – especially communication and presentation
- develop your problem solving and thinking skills
- learn to drive
- get and stay fit
- take part in adventure training/leadership awards
- take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme www.theaward.org