The UK government is set to establish a new 'School of Government' dedicated to training senior civil servants in critical modern skills, including artificial intelligence (AI), data, and digital technologies. This move comes more than a decade after the previous national training college was closed under David Cameron's leadership.
Reversing a 'Mistake' and Rewiring the Civil Service
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, will officially announce the new body in a speech on Tuesday. He is expected to frame it as a central part of the government's mission to 'rewire' the civil service for contemporary challenges. The decision to shutter the former National School of Government at Sunningdale by David Cameron has long been viewed as an error, leading to increased reliance and spending on external training providers.
"I am determined to work with the civil service to change the system, promote innovation and build in-house state capacity to get things done," Jones stated ahead of his address. His speech, promising to 'move fast, fix things', will also detail existing plans to cut consultancy spending in half and reduce departmental administration costs by 16% over five years, aiming for annual savings of £2bn by 2030.
Curriculum for a Modern State
The core purpose of the new school is to elevate the expertise of the civil service's top ranks. Its comprehensive curriculum is designed to cover:
- Economics, finance, and policy development
- Leadership, management, and commercial skills
- AI, data, digital, and cybersecurity
- Programme, project management, and delivery
"By bringing in-house, high-quality training and education for public servants, the School for Government and Public Services will help support our ambitions for a world-class professional civil service," Jones said. He emphasised a particular focus on supporting staff as AI use expands across the public sector in the coming years.
A Long History of Whitehall Training Reform
The new institution marks the latest chapter in a turbulent history for central government training. The original Civil Service College was closed in 1995, deemed unfit for purpose. Its successor, the National School of Government, was then axed in 2012 by Cameron and then-Efficiency Minister Francis Maude during a period of strained relations between ministers and officials.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration has now launched its own efficiency drive, with the PM having previously criticised a culture of 'tepid bath of managed decline' in parts of Whitehall. However, Jones has sought to distinguish between criticising the system and criticising individuals. "Civil servants are as frustrated as us … The question is why … over time it has become bloated," he remarked at a recent Institute for Government event.
The school is scheduled to launch later this year, with a plan to reach full operational capacity over the next three years.
