Business & Skills Apprenticeship

Benefits:

• Healthy work life balance; flexible and hybrid working options.
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities.
• IT equipment and home-working equipment supplied.
• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + choice to buy extra.
• Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme.
• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks.
• Disability Confident Leader: we are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job.
• Up to 4 days per annum volunteering leave.
• National Apprenticeship Wage for the first 12 months of your Apprenticeship. After 12 months of service, your salary will increase to the National Living Wage (currently £23,557 per annum as of 01 April 2025).
• A Business Administrator Level 3 qualification via Adult Community Learning (ACL).

Whilst undertaking an apprenticeship within Essex County Council, you can expect to be supported from your first day. You’ll be invited to attend a specific onboarding event, have access to exclusive training material via My Learning platform, enrolled in the apprenticeship channel alongside colleagues on similar paths, invited to frequent gatherings, and offered peer-to-peer guidance. Additionally, you will have the chance to showcase your apprenticeship experience to external audiences. Apprenticeships are a valued career pathway to achieving your ambitions within Essex County Council, whilst gaining a qualification.

Our Level 2 apprenticeship is an intermediate level apprenticeship – it is the equivalent to 5 GCSE passes. Our Level 3 apprenticeship is an advanced apprenticeship – it is the equivalent to two A Levels or T Level. These apprenticeships are a fantastic steppingstone into your preferred career. You’ll work under the guidance of experienced professionals to develop a solid foundation in you chosen profession, while also contributing to the overall goals and objectives of the Essex County Council.

There is every opportunity to progress to further roles and training within Essex County Council. You will have the chance to put forward your ideas, grow your skillset and collaborate with an innovative team in a collaborative environment.

What our apprentices say:

“I really enjoyed my apprenticeship with ECC, I loved that the majority of the apprenticeship is on the job learning and minimal classroom work. The opportunities for career development have been much wider than I originally thought, and the apprenticeship is such a great way to start your career and get your foot in the door with your local council/ government”

“I love the apprenticeship process as you’re getting paid as you learn. I have been able to make good connections with other employees and really good relationships throughout my journey so far. It’s a great starting point to anyone who hasn’t got a clear idea of what work they would like to pursue. Also, the apprenticeship allowed me to try multiple different types of jobs when opportunities came up, so I was able to see what I liked, and I was good at.”

The Role:

As a Business and Skills Apprentice at Essex County Council, you'll learn the basics of business activities and support skills development. You'll shadow team members to understand various roles within the Business and Skills Team. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in a dynamic environment, working with passionate colleagues dedicated to helping businesses in Essex grow. This role will give you the opportunity to:

• Help businesses in Essex grow and thrive.
• Support skills development initiatives.
• Create jobs for residents.
• Promote green growth, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Shadow team members and learn about different roles.
• Attend training courses and workshops.

About You:

You will be:

• Educated to RQF level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience.
• Highly organised and reliable.
• Capable of prioritising a demanding workload and have a “can do” attitude.
• Able to take ownership of work and achieve the agreed commitments.
• Able to communicate effectively as well as have an ability to build and establish relationships and provide a high-quality service to customers.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office/Office 365 applications and willing to learn new systems.
• Good teamwork skills and a commitment to collaboration.
• Experienced in a working environment is helpful, but not essential.

Essential Requirements for the role:

• You will need to be 16 years of age at the start of the apprenticeship.
• You will need to have the right to work and study in England.
• You will have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for three years before the apprenticeship start date.
• You cannot have previously completed a qualification that is Level 3 or above in field that is related to Business Administration.
• As apprentices have employed status you must have the right to permanently live, work and study in the UK. Apprenticeships are not covered by student visas.

Please note that we must be provided with your GCSE certificate at the final stage of the recruitment process. If you have international equivalent qualifications a NARIC Statement of Comparability must be provided. If you do not already hold one you can purchase online – you can find more information here Statement of Comparability (enic.org.uk).

What will you be doing?

You will assist with the delivery of routine administrative tasks, dealing with day-to-day work including (but not limited to):

• Assist with the delivery of the Sector Development Team.
• Help with project planning and monitoring.
• Support the operational delivery of business and skills programs.
• Assist with marketing campaigns and event organization.
• Help with budgetary and financial management.
• Assist with data tracking and performance management.
• General team administration tasks, including file management, meeting room bookings, capturing actions from meetings, and monitoring the generic email account.
• Follow ECC policies and procedures for task completion and our expected standards of behaviours.

Why Essex? 

To read more about us please visit:

People, Policy, Economy and Public Health

Entry to Work

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

How to apply:

Start your journey within the Business and Skills Team by clicking the APPLY button now!

If you are interested in finding out more about this role or require further information, we would love to hear from you. Please email: work.placements@essex.gov.uk.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community.

Additional Information:

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email work.placements@essex.gov.uk

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