Fast stream futures: a day in the life of a first year fast streamer

At the end of last year, my first-year Government Statistical Service (GSS) Fast Stream cohort headed to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) office in Newport for their induction day, organised by the GSS Careers team. This was a chance to get excited about our fast stream journey, explore what it means to join the GSS, and hear from senior statisticians about their career journeys.

Having recently joined the fast stream without any experience of working in the Civil Service, I was excited to hear about how statisticians play a part across a wide range of departments and roles. I was also looking forward to learning more about the GSS and how they support us during our fast-stream journey.

Hearing from engaging speakers

We started the day with a talk from Emma Rourke (who was the current acting National Statistician). Emma welcomed us to the GSS and spoke about the key skills we’ll develop on the Fast Stream. Her reflections on how data enables us to understand more about the lives of individuals across the UK reminded me just how impactful our work is.

We then met Lucy Vickers (Chief Data Officer and Chief Statistician at the Department of Health and Social Care), our senior cohort sponsor. Lucy welcomed us to the scheme and shared how keen she is to hear about our experiences as we take on different postings. It’s reassuring to know that we’ll have a senior member of staff providing guidance along the way.

We also gained career insights from James Scruton (a senior leader at ONS) and Owen Daniel (Lead Data Scientist at the Data Science Campus). They both emphasised the incredible breadth of opportunity available to statisticians, from technical work with cutting-edge tools to informing policy decisions. Their top tips for career development will definitely come in useful! In particular, James’ advice to view each posting as a chance to develop in a different way really changed my perspective about what’s coming up.

Finally, we heard from a panel of current GSS Fast Streamers, who discussed their experiences with us. They spoke honestly about the highs and the lows of a scheme which is designed to encourage development. It was reassuring to hear how much support is available to us and how valuable they have found the scheme.

A chance to connect as a cohort

We had the chance to spend time as a cohort and start building relationships with each other. We played some icebreakers together throughout the day and had plenty of time to chat over breakfast and lunch. Having a network of people who are going through similar experiences will be such a valuable resource as we navigate the next few years.

Don’t just take it from me – it was a fantastic day! Here are what some of my cohort said about the day:

“The induction day was really informative and enjoyable. I appreciated the chance to reconnect with other statistics fast streamers and share our experiences so far!” – Katie

“I enjoyed the day, it was good to have a statistics specific introduction after a month of settling in.” – Matthew

“It was great to meet everyone properly and understand more about the stats learning journey.” – Mia

Overall, the day left me feeling inspired about what’s ahead and encouraged me to stay curious. It was great to take some time away from my current posting and think more about the big picture of my career direction as a statistician.