Former Employment Department civil servants dominate the new-look Department for Education and Employment, taking five out of the eight top posts in the department's governing board.

The only DFE faces in the all-male line-up are Roger Dawe, John Hedger and Peter Owen. Cambridge-educated Mr Dawe retains the further and higher education brief, as well as taking on youth training. Mr Hedger, a graduate of Sussex University, who originally had the schools brief, now becomes director of operations and takes on responsibility for training and enterprise councils. The new director general for schools is Peter Owen, who was in charge of teachers and schools' curriculum in the old DFE.

The employment and lifetime learning directorate has been given to Nick Stuart. Formerly the employment department's director of resources and strategy, he spent 20 years in the education department, also serving as private secretary to the head of the civil service during the premierships of Edward Heath, Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.

The restructuring means promotion for two grade three employment department civil servants, David Normington, the new director of personnel and support services, and Leigh Lewis, the new director of finance.

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At 43, Mr Normington, an Oxford graduate and ballet fan, is the youngest on the governing board. Other employment department representatives are Graham Reid, director general of strategy, international and analytical services, and Mike Fogden, a non-graduate who remains chief executive of the employment service.

The only grade two civil servant not to appear in the top board is Ian Johnston, former head of training, enterprise and education in the employment department. He had already accepted the post of deputy principal of Sheffield Hallam University, which he takes up in October.

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Gillian Shephard, Secretary of State, said that the new appointments, which follow consultation with employers and educationists, mean that the department can "make the most of the opportunity to bring together our policies and programmes for a skilled and highly qualified workforce and a flexible and efficient labour market".