FOI reference: FOI-2026-3642
You asked
Please provide the following information relating to internships and graduate recruitment schemes operated by your department (including executive agencies and arms-length bodies where held centrally), covering the most recent complete recruitment cycle and any schemes currently open or planned for the next cycle:
1. A list of all internship, work placement, apprenticeship, and graduate schemes your department currently runs or has run in the last 24 months, including the name of each scheme and a brief description
2. For each scheme, the eligibility criteria applied to applicants, including any restriction or preference based on:
(a) race, ethnicity, or ethnic background (for example schemes limited to Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates)
(b) sex or gender
(c) disability
(d) socio-economic background
(e) sexual orientation
(f) age
(g) religion or belief
(h) any other protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010; or
(i) any non-protected factor (for example geographic region, first-in-family to attend university, or free school meal eligibility).
3. The number of places available on each scheme and the number of applications received, broken down by scheme, for the last two recruitment cycles.
We said
Thank you for your request.
ONS do not run graduate schemes directly. The Civil Service has the Civil Service Fast Stream, which is run centrally through Cabinet Office. Any queries you have about this scheme should be directed to them.
The information we have provided relates to apprenticeships and other placement schemes run by the ONS. Please find the information you have requested in the associated download spreadsheet.