Thinking about…

What does it take to be good at your job and what skills and knowledge and qualifications do you need to have for particular roles?

When I was thinking about what to write about this week, I thought I’d look at two roles that are an essential part of the UK economy.

Role One

To apply for the first role a person requires no formal educational qualifications. It’s not a strict requirement, but most of the people who apply have a background in politics, law, business, or public service.

If someone is successful in getting this job, there are no formal qualifications or exams that new workers must pass in order to continue in their role. There is an induction process and support to help new workers gain knowledge and skills that they need to do the job. But there is no formal requirement to do this induction.

To progress to more senior roles, workers need to be able to demonstrate that they are a loyal member of their organisation. Workers who actively support organisational policies, contribute to organisational campaigns, and maintain good relationships with senior leaders are more likely to be considered for more senior jobs. Workers who have a particular knowledge and expertise might be more likely to get certain jobs, but this can also be a reason why they don’t get those jobs as well. Being in the right place at the right time plays a big part in who gets which job.

Workers are held to account by a board that is made up of other workers in similar roles to themselves. There is also someone whose specific job it is to make sure workers adhere to a high standard. Workers can be suspended if they break the rules – but most of them are unlikely to lose their jobs unless they are made bankrupt or have a criminal conviction (though even a criminal conviction doesn’t have to mean that they lose their job).

As well as a basic salary workers can claim staffing costs, office costs, accommodation costs, travel expenses, subsistence costs, costs associated with attending events, meetings, and conferences relevant to their work, training and development relevant to their role and the costs related to having conversations with local people.

All of these workers have to reapply for their jobs usually every four to five years. If they aren’t successful they may be eligible for a pension, a grant to help them with getting used to not having a job and support in making any staff they have redundant.

If the worker gets a more senior job then they have to sign up to a more specific set of rules governing their conduct.

There is no requirement to work a specific number of hours every week and these workers can have as many other jobs as they like as long as they declare them and how much money they are earning from them. These workers can also accept lots of gifts as long as they declare what they are.

Role Two

In order to apply for the second role a person will need to have or be working towards a level 2 or level 3 qualification relevant to the role that they are applying for. If they are applying for a more senior role they will need at least a level 3 qualification. For certain roles they will need a legally recognisable professional qualification at degree level. Some roles can not be held without a degree and/or a level 5 manager’s qualification and for some specialist roles a masters degree may also be needed.

Some roles need to be regulated by a professional body and a fitness to practice assessment must be passed in order to practice.

Skills and personal qualities that are needed to do this role include; interpersonal skills, empathy and compassion, problem-solving skills, organisational skills, resilience and patience and a commitment to continuous professional development (CPD) that includes staying up to date with best practice, legal requirements, and new ways of working.

To progress to more senior roles, workers typically need a combination of relevant qualifications, specialised training, experience, and must be able to demonstrate leadership abilities. Continuous professional development is a key component of career advancement. It’s important for workers to stay informed about the specific requirements and opportunities available within their local context and the specific organisations they work for.

Workers are held to account through regular supervision and a clear legislative framework. The methods and frequency of supervision can vary depending on the organisation, the specific role of the worker, and the needs of their customers.

Workers may be able to claim certain costs to help offset expenses such as travel expenses, course fees and professional membership fees. The specific expenses that can be claimed may vary depending on their employer’s policies.

These workers jobs used to be fairly secure, but nowadays many of these workers will be on short term contracts or working for an agency with no secure hours of work, or they may be at constant risk of unemployment due to budget cuts. If these workers lose their jobs they will get statutory redundancy payments and depending on the employer, counselling and support to find another job.

These workers tend to have a set number of working hours per week. If they need to work more hours they might get paid for them, but often they wont get paid. Having other jobs as well, is frowned upon and accepting gifts of any sort can lead to disciplinary action.

Both of these roles are very important. Both are often in the public eye. Both roles are often viewed with scepticism. One of these roles is often described as unskilled work. But if you look closely at the evidence then one of the roles expects workers to have significant knowledge and skills and a long term commitment to professional development and one of them has a much more laissez-faire approach to development. In one of these roles progression is based on a rigorous process that makes sure people have the right knowledge, skills and qualifications to do the job. In the other role people don’t need any specific experience or knowledge to progress and it is very much about the people you know rather than what your knowledge is.

The more I looked at these two roles the more I realised how one of them requires people to to be highly skilled, highly professional and legally accountable for their actions. The other role seems to require no specific knowledge and skills, a limited requirement to be professional and a somewhat dubious approach to progression. 

In both roles workers have to have a strong commitment to public service. But workers in one of these roles often describe workers in the other one as being a low skilled workforce that doesn’t deserve to be well rewarded. This is for doing a job that is essential to the functioning of the UK economy.

What do you think?

Jim Thomas

May 2025