Public Sector Development & Mentoring Scheme
Professional training & development
What is the Public Sector Development & Mentoring Scheme?
The Public Sector Development and Mentoring Scheme (PSDMS) is a positive action initiative led by the FDA in partnership with civil service employers (including the civil service Fast Stream and departmental diversity networks) and partner universities working to support a more diverse senior workplace in the civil service.
The scheme runs all year round and is refreshed with the university academic year, running to the end of the application processes for schemes that offer graduate entry such as the civil service Fast Stream and others including the Tax Specialist Programme (TSP) in HMRC.
Members of the FDA who are currently on schemes such as Fast Stream act as mentors to students and serving civil servants from diverse backgrounds, to encourage them to apply for Fast Stream and for other civil service schemes opportunities.
How do I get involved?
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, or would like to find out more information, get in touch!
PSDMS aims to:
- Establish mentoring of diverse students and civil servants to encourage them to see entry to/advancement within the civil service as a career path
- Offer skills sessions focussed on civil service application processes
- Provide bespoke sessions based on the application process for the Fast Stream and other schemes (including the Tax Specialist Programme)
What do we offer to mentors?
- Training to become effective mentors
- Courses to support mentors with appraisal processes such as the Development Trajectory and end of scheme assessments in Fast Stream
- Being a mentor counts towards Fast Streamers’ corporate objectives
- The opportunity to support skills training and familiarisation events for mentees
What do we offer to mentees?
- A match with a mentor – offering light touch remote mentoring at an agreed level (as a benchmark 4 X 1 hour over 6 months might be reasonable but there is no fixed approach)
- Early access to skills sessions focussed on a generic approach to the civil service application processes.
- Later access to bespoke sessions based on the application process for civil service development schemes
Latest news
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Driving improvement
If the government wants efficiencies, it needs to address the big challenge of civil service pay reform, writes FDA General Secretary Dave Penman.
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Investing in the future
As the union introduces its first dedicated National Officer for Northern Ireland, Tommy Newell reflects on the FDA’s growth in NI and future plans with the Devolved Government Network.
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Unlock your leadership and management potential
As part of Young Workers’ Month, the FDA highlights how development schemes like the Fast Stream can set young workers up for a successful career in public service, and how the union will support them along the way.