Top Civil Servant Meets Derby Students
7 March 2011
Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O' Donnell.
The UK's top civil servant and Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell visited the University of Derby this afternoon to talk to students about their career opportunities and aspirations.
Sir Gus is Cabinet Secretary with overall responsibility for ensuring the Civil Service provides effective and efficient support to the Prime Minister and the Government. In this role since 2005, he has worked under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and current Prime Minister David Cameron. Sir Gus is also Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office.
He was visiting the city of Derby today, and as part of his visit, met students and staff who work in the University's Career Development Centre. Among the topics on the agenda included careers in the Civil Service - where students could ultimately end up working for him - and the Fast Stream graduate recruitment scheme. Derby graduate Sarah Nattrass, who works in the Civil Service, and studied Zoology at the University, also spoke about her career to date and her involvement in the Fast Stream scheme.
In his role as Head of the Civil Service, Sir Gus is accountable for ensuring that it is equipped with the skills and capability to meet the challenges it faces every day. And as Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, his overarching purpose is 'making government work better'.
Sir Gus was born and raised in London, and holds a degree in economics at the University of Warwick and an MPhil degree at Nuffield College in Oxford, starting his career as a lecturer before becoming an economist in the Treasury in 1979. He has worked for the British Embassy and held Press Secretary posts for both the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1989) and the Prime Minister (1990-94).
He then held senior economic posts with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Treasury before becoming the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury in 2002, three years later succeeding Sir Andrew Turnbull (now Lord Turnbull of Enfield) in his present role.
He became the first Cabinet Secretary to work in an open plan office. One of his key aims is to build a professional, diverse and flexible Civil Service that meets the needs of our increasingly diverse society by recruiting graduates from all backgrounds.
Christine Dare, Employability Development Co-ordinator, within the University of Derby's Career Development Centre said: "We were delighted to welcome Sir Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.
"It was an excellent opportunity, which raised awareness of the Civil Service, particularly focussing opportunities for graduates in the Fast Stream scheme and in the wider Civil Service."
Find out more about the Fast Stream scheme,
For more information contact Deputy Head of Corporate Relations Simon Redfern on 01332 591942 or 07748 920038 or email s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.
