This is a 10 week ‘in person’ programme taking place from the end of June to the beginning of September 2027.
Location: CISS 2027 will be classroom-based training in Lancashire. Receipted travel cost requests to support your attendance will be refunded for travel to the summer school, and at the end of your time with us. (up to £200)
About us
GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
The role
GCHQ is providing you with an opportunity to enhance your cyber skills by attending our Cyber Insights Summer School. You’ll have an opportunity to see how your passion for technology could help protect the UK by gaining exposure into how GCHQ uses cutting edge technologies.
During our Summer School, you’ll develop a wide range of skills relating to cyber security – both offensive and defensive. You’ll learn through structured teaching with extensive hands-on practical experience and experimentation, growing and developing your knowledge in Network Fundamentals, Malware Analysis, Pen Testing, Ethical Hacking and Forensics. And you’ll benefit from a unique and exciting opportunity to gain knowledge, understanding and an insight into the work of a world-leading team within GCHQ.
You’ll be part of a close-knit cohort, with access to a comprehensive training and development package that includes:
• Support from world-class cyber experts delivering interactive lectures, workshops, and practical learning through application
• Individual and group real-time exercises in a supportive learning environment
• Organised social activities
• Help to develop your skills in programming and computer networking which will support your STEM degree studies
You’ll benefit from a payment of £300 per week for the duration of the summer school, and free accommodation which we’ll provide while you learn at a Lancashire location. You’ll have your own ensuite room, with shared kitchen facilities. Travel expenses to support your attendance - at the start and end of the summer school only - are available.
About you
You’ll have a basic understanding of a programming language (Python, C, JavaScript, or similar) - for example you may have coded a simple programme in the past. You’ll also be able to tell us about your interest in cyber-focused areas such as online security or networking.
You’ll need to be studying a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subject, or a joint honours degree that includes a STEM subject, at university, and be graduating between the summers 2028 to 2030.
To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered.
Our 10-week summer school will take place from the end of June to the beginning of September 2027. You’ll need to be able to commit to this whole period.
Training and development
At GCHQ we’re proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment. As an organisation that values and nurtures people, we’re committed to helping you succeed. During our 10-week programme, you’ll develop your skills in programming, computer networking, and cyber security, to help support your future career aspirations.
The Cyber Insights Summer School will give you a unique opportunity to gain an insight into our ways of working. You’ll gain skills and experience through coaching and mentoring from our training partners and our world-class Subject Matter Experts. During the summer school, a pastoral care officer is available to support you throughout your time with us, more than just helping you to settle in.
On completion of the summer school, you may want to consider applying to some of our future opportunities, such as an 11-week summer programme, or an industry year placement – which will involve working within our Computer Network Operations Teams. You could also consider joining us in full-time employment through one of our future recruitment opportunities. Availability of these opportunities will depend on where you are in relation to completing your degree. Cyber Insights Summer School is a unique opportunity for you to gain experience and understanding of where a career with us could take you.
Equal opportunities
At GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.
We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
• You'll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation.
• You will need to achieve a minimum pass mark in each of our 4 application questions.
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.
What to expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
1. An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria.
2. Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios.
3. Full Application Form.
4. Application Form Sift.
5. Virtual Interview.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 4-6 months to process including vetting. Please don’t put your life on hold whilst your vetting is in progress.
Before you apply
To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. You can apply at the age of 17 years. If successful, you will need to be 18 before 28 June 2027. There is no upper age limit to apply for a role with us. You’ll usually need to have been a resident in the UK for 4 out of the last 5 years when applying for this role with us at this level. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK, but we do assess each case individually. There are some common exceptions like studying abroad, living overseas with parents or serving with HM Forces. We’ll just need references for the time you lived abroad.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.
We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in-person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.
Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to close applications early
Please be aware that we reserve the right to close applications once a certain number have been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out. If you have a disability (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) and need additional time to complete your application, please submit your initial application. Then, contact us via the email provided as soon as possible, using the subject line "Reasonable adjustments extension" and briefly outline the support you require.
