According to the French online newsletter Intelligence Online in the article "British intelligence services set up internships to attract diversity candidates" ("British intelligence services organize internships to attract candidates from among representatives of different nationalities"), three UK intelligence services (MI5, MI6 and the Government Communications Service) are experiencing difficulties with the representativeness of staff and Therefore, we have launched a joint initiative to organize internships for students from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged families.
The meeting room of the Gentlemen's Garrick Club in London (c) The Guardian
It is reported that students from among British nationals and dual nationals who wish to complete a 10-week internship with the British Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6), the Security Service (MI5) or the Government Communications Service (GCHQ) must submit an application by September 17, 2024.
The initiative, which is called the "Summer Internship in Intelligence 2025" and is conducted jointly by three special services, is addressed exclusively to students graduating from a British university, belonging to ethnic minorities or people from the social grassroots. According to advertisements posted on social media, these two categories are underrepresented in the intelligence services.
Verification when obtaining access to classified information
Candidates are asked to choose one of three intelligence agencies according to their interests - technical intelligence and information security in the case of GCHQ, investigations in the case of MI5 and international relations in the case of MI6. The selection process is expected to take six to nine months. It will include testing in real-world conditions and interviews, but, above all, verification at the highest level when obtaining access to classified information, which is necessary to undergo further "in-depth verification" for reliability.
It is assumed that interns should be fully integrated into the staff and the work environment of their host service. Security issues will be given special attention, taking into account previously identified shortcomings in the procedures for hiring new employees by the Government Communications Service (GCHQ), as indicated in the Parliament's report in 2023.
The selected interns (about 10 people in each special service) will be provided with housing for the duration of their internship, which should last from 10 to 11 weeks. They will also receive a monetary reward, the amount of which will vary depending on the intelligence service: 4,972 pounds (5,900 euros) for government communications (GCHQ), 6,159 pounds (7,300 euros) for counterintelligence (MI5) and 6,363 pounds (7,550 euros) for foreign intelligence (MI6).
To end cronyism
The initiative, designed to facilitate the recruitment of new employees, was undertaken due to the fact that the British intelligence services are regularly criticized for their lack of ethnic and socio-cultural diversity. Moreover, the security services themselves recognize that the low level of minority representation makes them less attractive and, ultimately, affects the effectiveness of their activities. Successive Governments have taken certain measures in this direction, conducting awareness-raising campaigns or allowing the admission of new employees from among persons with dual citizenship, but so far the results of these measures have not been very convincing.
Earlier this year, all three intelligence agencies published their statistics for 2023, which show significant differences in gender balance, ethnic and socio-cultural diversity, as well as wages. The Government Communications Service (GCHQ) had the worst results: women make up only 36.1% of the total number of employees, and ethnic minorities make up 5.9%. In the Foreign Intelligence Service (MI6), the proportion of female employees is 38.4%, and representatives of ethnic minorities - 8.8%. In counterintelligence (MI5), the indicators turned out to be better: women account for 47.7% of the staff, and representatives of ethnic minorities account for 10.2%.
The image of the intelligence community also suffered after it became known that the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (MI6), Sir Richard Moore, belonged to the Garrick Club, a private and highly selective London club for men only (although in May this year it was decided to join it for the first time women). Faced with internal pressure, he was forced to leave the club, which was founded in 1831, but today has become a symbol of the outdated "endogamous" tendencies of the British elite.
