The UK Civil Service has this week launched the UK’s first degree-level apprenticeship in economics – creating new routes to careers in the Civil Service for young people who would prefer to study for a degree whilst working at the heart of government.

A range of central government departments and agencies including HM Treasury, Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), Department for Business, Energy, Innovation and Science (BEIS), Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will provide apprenticeship placements through the new programme – which will offer students a starting salary of about £22k in London and in excess of £20k nationally.

The apprenticeship standard on which the programme is based was developed by a group of economist employers that included HM Treasury, the Bank of England as well as a range of consultancies and third sector organisations. The programme will be delivered in partnership with the University of Kent and will be open to candidates with GCSE maths at grade B (6) or above and 96 UCAS points – equivalent to CCC at A-level, MMM for a BTEC Diploma, DD for a BTEC Certificate.

Joint head of the Government Economics Service and Chief Economic Adviser at HM Treasury, Clare Lombardelli said:

“We are delighted to launch this new programme, which we hope will create new opportunities for talented young people from all parts of the communities we serve to consider economist careers in Government.”

Sam Beckett, joint head of the GES and Director General in BEIS said:

“This is an exciting new initiative for the economics profession. I am looking forward to working with the new apprentices who will join us next year – and hope to see other employers launching similar programmes in the months to come.”

Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Kent said:

“We are proud to have been selected to deliver the programme working with colleagues across the Government Economics Service. At Kent we have a long history of delivering undergraduate degree courses in economics to a very high standard.

We are looking forward to working with GES to deliver an apprenticeship programme which provides participants with on and off the job training and support that will prepare them for long and successful economist careers.”

For further information about the Government Economics Service Degree Apprenticeship Programme, email us at economic.apprenticeship@hmtreasury.gov.uk or visit:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-economics-service-degree-apprenticeship-programme

Renting your first place in the private rented sector while at university can be a daunting task, but it needn’t be with all the measures the Government has put in place to drive up standards and protect tenants.

Knowing your rights – as well as your responsibilities – ensures you’ll live in a safe and comfortable environment and will be able to hold your landlord or agent to account if certain standards aren’t met.

There are lots of things the Government requires landlords to do. To make understanding all this simple, we’ve put together a definitive guide to renting that tells you everything you need to consider, know and do.

Protecting your deposit

By law, your landlord or letting agent is required to protect your deposit in a Government-approved scheme within 30 days of taking it. These schemes ensure your money can’t be misused, lost or kept from you when you’re entitled to it back. There are only three:

• The Tenancy Deposit Scheme
• The Deposit Protection Service
• mydeposits

Your landlord or agent must also provide you with all the information on the scheme they’ve used within 30 days. If they fail to do either of these things they lose their ability to evict you with a section 21 notice.

There is a useful guide on what to do if your landlord breaks your tenancy deposit protection scheme rules available from Shelter.

Houses in multiple occupation

The rules around houses in multiple occupation (HMO) will be changing on 1 October 2018. Among other things, the new rules set out a minimum bedroom size; no less than 6.51 square metres for a single adult.

They also make it mandatory for landlords to adhere to council refuse schemes and ensure their properties have adequate waste facilities.

Councils may give landlords up to 18 months to make changes to ensure their HMOs comply with the bedroom size rules, but if you’ve just taken out a two-year tenancy you should consider now how these rules will affect your property in the future.

If something goes wrong

It is your landlord or agent’s responsibility to ensure the property is kept up to standard. This includes arranging prompt and certifiable repairs when utilities like gas, water and electricity fail, repairing or replacing faulty appliances, and maintaining the condition of the property.

All letting agents and property managers in England must belong to a Government approved redress scheme. There are only two:

• The Property Ombudsman
• Property Redress Scheme

These schemes provide help in resolving disputes between landlords, agents and tenants, and are a safeguard for when you’re unable to resolve a dispute yourself.

More information

More detailed information on everything contained in this article is available in our How To Rent guide – which your landlord must provide you with at the beginning of your tenancy – and our How To Rent a Safe Home guide.

Share this information

Savvy students know their rights. Share this article on social media and use the below image to tell other students you know your rights when it comes to renting.

If you’re a university or student union, download our helpful poster and display around campus.

How to rent as a student poster

PDF, 1.63MB, 1 page

Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt has thanked the people and Government of Turkey for their role in responding to the Syrian refugee crisis and maintaining regional security.

Mr. Burt, who was visiting Gaziantep, Istanbul and Ankara, met with representatives of the Turkish Government to discuss efforts to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Idlib.

Whilst in Turkey, Minister Burt visited the founders of Hala Systems, a social enterprise funded by UK aid which is saving civilian lives by providing early warnings of incoming airstrikes by WhatsApp and on social media. The technology detects aircraft using remote sensors and machine-learning algorithms before sending early warnings to civilians through air raid sirens and social media alerts.

The Minister also met members of the White Helmets, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated civilian defence group who work tirelessly to protect the lives of civilians caught in the conflict.

Speaking from Turkey, Minister Burt said:

“Turkey is an important and longstanding friend of the UK, and I was pleased that I was able to offer the UK’s thanks to our partners in the Turkish Government for their frontline role in tackling the Syrian refugee crisis. We are encouraged by this week’s agreement between Turkey and Russia to avoid a military offensive by the Syrian regime and its allies. This agreement, if implemented in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, will help to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.

“During my visit, I had the privilege of meeting members of the White Helmets, and we thank them for their service, courage and sacrifice which has saved over 115,000 Syrian lives. They must be able to continue their vital work without being targeted by the Asad regime.

“I was also deeply impressed by the innovative work of Hala Systems, a UK aid funded initiative that can offer Syrian civilians valuable minutes to get to safety ahead of airstrikes, and which has seen a 27% reduction in the number of casualties in areas under heavy bombardment.”

Whilst in Turkey Minister Burt met Mr Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Advisor to President Erdogan, and Governor Ismail Çatakli, Deputy Minister of the Interior. He thanked the Turkish government for its important role in supporting over 3.5 million Syrians displaced by the conflict, and discussed ways that the UK and Turkey can continue to work closely together.

Last week the UK announced a new aid package to provide life-saving clean water, medical care and shelter, for over a quarter of a million people in North West Syria.

Since the crisis started, the UK is the second largest humanitarian donor to the response inside Syria and has committed £2.71 billion since 2012, the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

Last week’s package is in addition to the UK’s existing humanitarian assistance in north-west Syria. During the previous financial year, our support in Idlib Governorate has provided 654,000 people with access to clean drinking water, immunised nearly a million children under the age of five and helped over 300,000 children access education.

Notes to editors

• Last week, the UK’s Department for International Development UK announced £32 million of additional aid to meet emergency needs in Idlib and the surrounding areas. £17 million will support emergency preparedness, provided by NGOs and UN agencies, including UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. The remaining £15m will go to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair’s Turkey Humanitarian Fund to meet emergency needs in North West Syria.
• This year alone UK support across Idlib has enabled DFID’s partners to provide approximately 572,000 people with access to clean drinking water, immunise 95,000 children under five, provide 500,000 medical consultations, provide safe spaces for over 29,000 women and girls, distribute over 23,000 food rations and support over 2,300 health facilities.
• The UK is the largest donor to the White Helmets who have saved over 115,000 lives during the conflict. The UK remains committed to supporting the White Helmets and the vital life-saving assistance they provide.
• Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, alongside our international partners, the UK has supported Hala Systems, a social enterprise focused on developing innovative technical solutions aimed at helping protect civilian communities caught in conflict, including in Syria.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has reaffirmed the UK and Pakistan’s strength in partnership as part of a 2 day visit to the country.

In the first visit to Pakistan by a UK minister since the Pakistani elections, Sajid Javid met with new Prime Minister Imran Khan. He also met with other government ministers including the Foreign Minister and the Minister for the Interior to discuss cooperation on organised crime, terrorism and corruption.

During the visit, the government announced a new UK-Pakistan partnership on accountability to tackle illicit finance – a priority for the new Pakistani government. The partnership includes £500,000 support to Pakistan to enable them to pursue money launderers and to recover assets.

The Home Secretary, whose parents were born in Pakistan, also had the opportunity to visit a girls’ school in Islamabad to see how UK government funding has helped support educational programmes in the country. Over 9.5 million children in primary schools – including 4.6 million girls – have benefited from UK sponsored programmes since 2011.

He also attended a Forced Marriage roundtable hosted by the High Commission and attended by operational partners.

The visit concluded with a tour of Iqbal tomb and the Badshahi Mosque with Punjab Governor Sarwar where they discussed continued partnership in the province on security, health and education.

Speaking after the visit to Pakistan, Mr Javid said:

Pakistan has a special place in my heart and our two countries have a historic bond underpinned by the strong links between our people.

It is vital that our deep and enduring relationship continues and we cooperate further to tackle the shared threats we face.

I discussed this on my visit and made clear Britain is committed to Pakistan’s long-term stability and prosperity.

Providers will be asked to update passwords and security details on the LAA portal after 6am on Monday 24 September so remember to keep your information secure.

Why is this happening now?

The password updates are needed because of maintenance work on the portal. So, we would like to remind you of your obligations to help us keep the LAA portal secure.

What are the benefits?

Managing and controlling access will improve security of access to our systems which will safeguard client and case data to help prevent potential misuse or fraud.

Removal of dormant accounts

We are also in the process of removing dormant accounts. We are writing to email addresses associated with these accounts ahead of their removal.

If you have not used your account for six months or more but wish to retain portal access you should email us at LAAPortalUpgrade@justice.gov.uk

Further information

Portal help and information – how to set up users and allocate or remove permissions

Online-Support@justice.gov.uk – for questions about portal processes and account removals

Portal Password Resets – select ‘LAA Online Password Reset’ under ‘additional resources’ for short video on resetting passwords

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