The Northern Ireland Office facilitates week-long unpaid work experience placements for GCSE students, as well as year-long paid placements for university students as part of their IT degree courses. In addition, the Department offers paid summer placements to undergraduates and graduates with disabilities or from ethnic minorities under a Cabinet Office programme to increase diversity in the civil service fast stream.
The following table gives details of placements offered in the last five years.
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 GCSE students 6 2 3 1 5 IT sandwich students 4 3 3 0 0 Summer placements 1 2 1 2 0