I have been working as a Civil Servant since 2012 and have worked for the both the Welsh Government and UK Government during this time. I have predominantly worked in Policy and I joined the Department in 2016 as a Policy Team Lead in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Having worked in Welsh Government on devolved issues of policy, I was interested to work directly for Central Government and gain expertise in UK policy. I undertook my role in Driver Licensing Policy for four years and worked on a variety of initiatives including the delivery of changes to legislation and collaborating with the wider department on road safety strategies. I also worked closely with numerous internal and external stakeholders on policy development both in the driving licence field and wider field of enforcement. In all of these aspects, one of things I’ve really enjoyed is my interaction with other Government Departments such as MOD, HMPO, HMRC and MoJ. It’s surprising how many departments and policies the GB driving licence touches.
This year I joined our Ministerial Correspondence team on a temporary secondment – one of the benefits of working for the department is the ability to move around and develop knowledge and expertise in other areas. The role is varied and I get to see the whole breadth of the work that the Agency and the wider Department do. Although a fundamental area for any government department, the recent Coronavirus crisis has shown me how important it is to build great stakeholder relationships and provide excellent customer service at all times.
Working with my colleagues we are often the first port of call for MP’s when they are representing their constituents who may have an issue that is greatly impacting on their lives. Being able to identify this and flag it so that changes can be made is one of the most satisfying aspect of the job. Seeing policies evolve from the work I do and the changes implemented by the Department in practice is really important to me and being able to say to my family “I had a part in that” when a policy change is announced is something I relish.
With the variety of work, the flexibility to balance my home and work life along with the opportunities to develop my skills, expertise and future career, I would say definitely consider a role with the Department.