A new civil service internship scheme will be open only to working-class students as part of a drive to make Whitehall better reflect the country, the government has said.

The programme will give students from lower-income backgrounds the chance to apply for paid government placements. The definition of working class will be based on what jobs were held by their parents when the applicant was 14 and replaces an existing programme open to all.

The Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said the action was being taken because applicants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to get a place on the so-called fast stream.

“We need to get more working-class young people into the civil service so it harnesses the broadest range of talent and truly reflects the country,” he said. “Government makes better decisions when it represents and understands the people we serve.

“I want to open up opportunities for students from all backgrounds, and in every corner of the UK, so they can take a leading role at the heart of government as we rewire the state and deliver the plan for change.”

The two-month summer programme will give 200 undergraduates the opportunity to work in a civil service department from next year, with applications starting this October.

Their placement work could include planning events, writing briefings for ministers, shadowing senior civil servants and carrying out research for policy development. They will also be allocated a “buddy” who is a current fast-streamer and get access to skills sessions.

Participants who perform well will be fast-tracked to the final stages of the fast-stream selection process if they decide to apply for a job after graduation.

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The most recent data shows only about one in 10 successful applicants to the fast-stream graduate programme come from the lowest income backgrounds. The fast-stream programme was suspended briefly in 2023 as a cost-cutting measure but has since been reinstated.

Ministers have pledged to cut the size of the civil service, with tens of thousands of roles estimated to go over the coming years. New figures show it has grown to a 20-year high of almost 550,000 people as of March this year, with most manager level or above and the growth attributed to more operational frontline roles.