Elevate leadership, invest in talent
We’re building a future-ready public sector by strengthening digital leadership, improving pay and career paths for specialists and giving all civil servants the skills they need to thrive in a digital age.
The State of digital government review shows that while the public sector invested £26 billion in digital and data in 2023, much of this went to contractors and consultants. This underlines the need to grow permanent, in-house capability. With only around 6% of central government staff working in digital and data roles, and many leaders lacking digital skills and confidence, embedding digital thinking at the highest levels remains a challenge. By investing in long-term capability, we’re creating the conditions for more consistent, evidence-based decisions and better value for the public.
To change this, we’ve made an ambitious plan to make government a leading digital career choice, equip leaders across the public sector with the expertise to champion digital transformation and strengthen inclusion and retention so talented teams can focus on delivering better services for users. This will help ensure that every department has the skills and confidence to design modern services that work well for everyone.
Smarter organisations
Find out more about the work we’re delivering below.
Elevating digital leadership across government
The Government Digital Service (GDS) and government departments are working to develop expert digital leaders. We’re equipping senior decision-makers with the skills and confidence to drive innovation and deliver smarter, more user-centred services.
Building all civil servants’ digital, data and AI skills
The Government Digital Service (GDS) and government departments are making sure all civil servants have the skills they need to work in modern government through clear learning pathways, apprenticeships and leadership development.
Getting the digital, data and AI specialists government needs
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is working with government departments to attract and retain specialists. We’re implementing a competitive pay framework, high-impact work and clear pathways for new and existing talent.
