About the job Summary

KICK START YOUR CAREER BY JOINING THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT AS A BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION APPRENTICE.
 

Apprenticeship: Level 3 Business Administration

Locations: Birmingham, Leeds & London

Salary: London - £23,972 (uplifting to £29,965 following satisfactory completion of 12-months service) National - £20,900 (uplifting to £26,126 following satisfactory completion of 12-months service)

Role Profile: Business Administration Apprentice 

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities. We would also welcome applications from candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds who are looking to take their first steps into the world of work and into learning.

Would you like the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification whilst undertaking an exciting and stretching role, so you can earn whilst you learn?

Do you have the drive and ambition to apply that learning in a real business context so you can continue to develop and work towards your career goals?

If so, we have a unique and exciting opportunity for several apprentices to join the Department for Transport (DfT) and undertake a Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship, and we’d love to hear from you! If successful you will be part of an apprentice community which will provide you with the opportunity to support, network and share knowledge and experiences as a cohort, as you embark on your apprenticeship journey together.

Job description

The Department for Transport is a vibrant and multidimensional organisation at the very heart of key infrastructure projects including HS2, Crossrail, Thameslink and technological advances such as driver-less cars and drones. Transport keeps Britain on the move whether that be the daily commute to work or supplying businesses up and down the country, without it, business sectors cannot function efficiently.

We are recruiting into a number of roles across the department, and through the recruitment process, we will identify your personal strengths and place you into a role which will allow you to make the best use of your skills and capability; ensuring you have a solid foundation and adequate stretch to thrive in your role and your apprenticeship studies.

The Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship:

An apprenticeship is an exciting opportunity to ‘earn whilst you learn’ by combining theoretical learning with practical ‘on-the-job’ experience; allowing you to work towards a nationally recognised qualification, whilst building skills in your daily role and earning a salary. An apprenticeship also allows you to secure a qualification with no tuition / student fees as the programme is fully funded by the department.

You will spend 20% of your contracted working hours dedicated to your apprenticeship and will be surrounded by a supportive network. You will be allocated an apprentice buddy, and will have regular development conversations with a dedicated learning coach and the DfT Apprenticeship Team to ensure your learning needs are met and you are on track to successfully complete your apprenticeship.

The apprenticeship will provide you with new skills to apply to your job role, ensuring you are continuously learning, in a stretching but supportive environment.

Further information about the Business Administration Apprenticeship is available here.

To learn more about working at DfT and the Business Administration Apprenticeship, we are holding a virtual candidate open evening, please click here to book your space.
 

Responsibilities

What will you be doing?

By joining the Department for Transport, you will have the opportunity to contribute towards the departments critical work. As we are recruiting into a number of EO roles, your duties and responsibilities will vary, but may include:

• Providing administrative support across the team which may include, supporting with projects and team plans, applicable to your role and business area.
• Daily management of the teams dedicated mailboxes; responding to emails in a timely and professional manner and escalating issues or redirecting to the appropriate team / business area, as necessary.
• Providing diary support for senior leaders, prioritising and highlighting key actions accordingly.
• Arranging and attending key stakeholder meetings and forums by circulating the agenda, preparing materials, taking minutes and ensuring actions are completed to a high-quality by set deadlines; challenging contributors where required on detail.
• Overseeing the accurate recording and high-level analysis of team / project data. This may include collating, inputting and reviewing monthly reports and preparing departmental returns by utilising Microsoft packages and Management Information (MI) systems.

For more information about the role please see the attached Role Profile .

What we are looking for

We would love to hear from you if you are:

• Adaptable, flexible and thrive on managing a varied workload.
• Highly organised with good time management skills.
• Able to work independently but also enjoy working as part of a team; working together effectively towards achieving a shared goal.
• An effective communicator both verbally and in writing, and able to build lasting relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Confident in using Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Passionate about personal development and committed to working towards completion of a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship.

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for this programme, you will need to:

• Be at least 16-years old.
• Have the right to work in the UK.
• Have been a resident in the UK/EA/EEA continuously for 3-years before starting the apprenticeship.
• Have left full-time education when the apprenticeship starts.
• Not be in receipt of funding for other learning programmes (including another apprenticeship)
• You do not need any existing qualifications to apply for this role. Please note that possession of certain qualifications may impact your eligibility for this opportunity – please see additional note below for further information on this.

If you are a graduate or hold a degree level qualification or higher you will not be eligible to apply as this apprenticeship is specifically designed to offer opportunities to non-graduates, to complement the various graduate programmes and senior entry routes also available on Civil Service Jobs. If you are applying under a Tier 4 Student Visa then you would not be eligible to apply.

Individuals who hold or who are working towards a similar qualification of the same level or higher i.e. Business Administration Level 3 will also not be eligible to apply. Candidates who possess unrelated qualifications will be considered. In order to be eligible for the apprenticeship, any qualifications previously held or currently being worked towards must differ in content so that this apprenticeship provides substantial new skills. If you apply and are found to possess any of the above, your application will not be considered and any offer of employment will be withdrawn and your contract terminated. If you are unsure on whether you will be eligible for this apprenticeship, please do contact the recruitment manager outlined on this job advert for advice.

As part of your apprenticeship you will need to achieve qualifications in Maths and English (if you do not already have them) but you do not need to hold these qualifications to apply for this role. These are known as Functional Skills and are the ‘industry transferable skills’ equivalent to holding the relevant GCSE levels. If you have completed these qualifications before, you’ll be exempt so long as they meet the necessary requirements. If you don’t have the required level, you will be supported to achieve these during your apprenticeship.

Qualifications

By confirming 'yes' you are confirming that you do not hold a degree level qualification (in any subject area), or a qualification in Business Administration (or a similar subject) at Level 3 or higher.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.

Things you need to know Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

We are closely monitoring the situation regarding the coronavirus, and will be following central Government advice as it is issued. There is therefore a risk that recruitment to this post may be subject to change at short notice. In addition, where appropriate, you may be invited to attend a video interview.

Please continue to follow the application process as normal and ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

As part of the requirements for this apprenticeship you must not be a graduate or currently hold a degree level qualification as this apprenticeship is specifically designed to offer opportunities to non-graduates. Individuals who hold or who are working towards a similar qualification of the same level or higher i.e. Business Administration Level 3 will also not be eligible to apply.

Sift Process

• Once you have submitted interest for the role, you will receive a link to access your Civil Service Jobs account to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT)
• If you are successful in CSJT you will receive a notification to access your Civil Service Jobs account to complete a Verbal Reasoning Test (VRT).
• If you are successful at each of these assessments your application will progress to the sift stage, where you will be asked to complete a 750-word Personal Statement.
• If your application is successful, you will be invited to a first stage interview.

You are encouraged to review the guidance and to complete the practice online tests which are available here.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the Civil Service Judgement test is 23:55 on 18/05/2021. The closing date for the Verbal Reasoning Test is at 23:55 on 18/05/2021. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn.

As part of the application process you will need to complete a 750-word statement of suitability to outline the following:

Confidence, Excellence and Teamwork are the core values that that we share across all areas in the Department for Transport.

In no more than 750 words, please describe the following:

• How you have applied these values in the past – either at work, whilst learning in an educational setting or personally?
• When you have worked with others to achieve a common goal?
• We also would like to understand why an apprenticeship is the chosen career path for you?

We recommend you view Georgia, a Resourcing Partner at Department for Transport’s video below which will give you tips and advice on how to complete your Personal Statement - 

This interview process:

• 1st stage interview will consist of a virtual written assessment, this will take place from w/c 7th June 2021. You will receive an email from the DfT Apprenticeship Team inviting you to book a written exercise slot through Eventbrite. This is on a first come first serve basis.

• 2nd stage will consist of a video-based interview which will take place from w/c 14th June 2021. You will receive an email from Government Recruitment Services inviting you select a video interview slot of your choice for this week. This is on a first come first serve basis.

All candidates will undertake both stages of the interview process, and will receive an overall interview evaluation for both.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• an interview and written exercise

These roles are available in the following locations London, Birmingham and Leeds. You should indicate in your application your preferred location.

The majority of our roles require basic BPSS clearance, however, there may be some job roles which require higher-level clearance, which you would be informed of at the job offer stage.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

Further Information

To learn more about applying for a role within the Department for Transport, visit the Application Process page of our Careers website.

Before submitting your application, we encourage you to visit our Things You Need to Know page for further information about applying for a role within the Department for Transport and the Civil Service.

Throughout this job advert there are links to the DfT Careers website, which provides you further information to support your application. Should you be unable to access the information on our website, please email [email protected] for assistance.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name :   DfT Apprentice Recruitment Email :   [email protected]   Recruitment team : Email :   [email protected] Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/) to visit Civil Service Commission