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Alex Agnew

Alex Agnew

Since leaving Colyton Grammar School, Alex went on to earn his master's in science and physics at the University of Birmingham, graduating in 2022. Over the last year, he has worked with Big Data as a data analyst in the Department of Work and Pensions. As a Science and Engineering Fast Streamer, over the next three years Alex will work in four different Civil Service departments helping to embed science and evidence into decision making at the heart of government. 

Alex wanted to use everything that he had learnt in Physics, and more broadly from his STEM background, to have an impact. With a strong interest in government, and what government can and does do for us, he wanted a job at the heart of where decisions are made. The Civel Service Fast Stream is a leadership development programme, and it is exciting for him to learn so many skills in a huge variety of different departments. 

Stating that communication is one of the skills that he learnt at University that he most uses in his job, Alex states that from his outreach work, his degree and his work as a branding and graphic design freelancer, he was able to develop written, analytical and presentational communication skills. He also says that it is equally important to learn to try new things, be put outside your comfort zone and to develop new skills, not falling into areas where you feel comfortable. 

Whilst still in the early stages of his career, Alex claims that there are three things things that were critical to where he is today. The first is understanding and using evidence to make decisions, and this stemmed from his focus on experimental physics. The second is his outreach and positions on society committees - the skills learned from leading a project or a workshop are invaluable for preparation for the Civil Service. The third is the opportunities afforded to him, such as the personal skills Award and the Civil Service Summer Internship in the statistics profession that he undertook. 

Alex is motivated by a desire to improve things and to make an impact. The Civil Service touches every aspect of the UK impacting how we operate domestically and abroad, and he is driven to work his hardest to lead change, improve our public services and help in any way that he can to afford others the opportunities that he has been lucky enough to have.