Politician's assistant : Training

The majority of training for politicians' assistants is on the job, with more experienced assistants training up new members of staff. A great deal is learnt from experience, especially where casework and dealing with constituents is concerned. Information about courses is circulated internally to parliamentary and constituency staff.

Politicians generally encourage their staff to attend relevant internal and external training courses to ensure they are equipped with the skills they need to do their job well. Training generally includes a range of internal IT courses, access to courses that explain how central and/or devolved parliament and Westminster work, and information sessions provided by policy bodies and departments prior to legislation being implemented.

It is unusual for politicians to allow time or provide financial support for assistants to gain undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications. In terms of building up your skills portfolio, it is important for assistants to develop as many skills as possible to enhance their employability and to be aware of and seize training opportunities, as there is very little job security in this role.