Fast Streamers meet to discuss secondment and interchange opportunities

FDA national officer Caroline Milton speaks at the Fast Stream Secondments and Interchange meeting

Around 150 Fast Streamers attended the second speaker event co-sponsored by the Fast Stream Forum (FSF) and the FDA, which was held at DfID in central London on the evening of Wednesday 11 November. The subject of the meeting was Secondments and Interchange.

Speakers included Sam Mitha of HM Revenue and Customs, who talked about the introduction of the Government Interchange Programme, and representatives of the National School of Government and the Fast Stream Forum. There were also presentations by three organisations which offer secondment or placement opportunities for Fast Streamers - Charity Next, Raleigh International and the Whitehall and Industry Group.

Caroline Milton, the FDA National Officer who leads on Fast Stream issues, spoke at the event about the potential pitfalls and problems around secondments. An FDA guidance leaflet on secondments was distributed to all attendees and can be read by clicking on the following link: Secondments/interchange - FDA top tips

Milton said: "The event represented an excellent opportunity to talk to Fast Streamers - some of whom have only recently joined the Civil Service - about the practical help the FDA can offer with issues of individual concern, such as the brokering of secondments. We hope that Fast Streamers will make use of the information sheet we distributed at the event. This is another element of the professional support that the FDA offers to our Fast Stream members, alongside assistance with career development and training, as featured in the FDA's Fast Stream Newsletter - Autumn 2009.