People Services Support Apprentice
SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY LIMITED
Southampton (SO15 1AL)
Closes in 31 days (Friday 31 October 2025)
Posted on 30 September 2025
Contents
Summary
Support HR Business Partners with case management, meeting coordination, documentation, and formal procedures. Maintain HR systems, assist with leaver processes, attendance, and reporting. Handle sensitive issues professionally while developing skills across People Services and contributing to continuous improvement.
- Wage
-
Competitive
Competitive wage offered
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Salary will increase following successful completion of first year
- Training course
- HR support (level 3)
- Hours
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Monday to Friday.
Exact shifts TBC.
37 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 14 September 2026
- Duration
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2 years
- Positions available
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1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
- Provide support to the HR Business Partners with employee relations case management
- Arranging meetings with stakeholders including the release arrangements of Colleagues and Staff Representatives as necessary
- Prepare case related documentation to strict deadlines and ensure that the relevant activity trackers and case summary records are regularly updated
- Maintain HR records, updating colleague details on various HR systems
- Provide minute taking support to Managers when conducting formal meetings and to ensure adherence to Company and statutory people management procedures
- Provide assistance with the issuing of correspondence to employees further to formal meeting outcomes
- Handle conflict and sensitive HR situations professionally and confidentially
Ensure that case paperwork is maintained and filed in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations - Complete leaver processes including staff changes
- Provide management information and produce key performance indicators in accordance with ongoing and ad-hoc business needs
- Perform ad-hoc or project related tasks as and when required by the People Services Management team
- Assist in the administration of the Company Attendance Procedure including weekly prompt reports and updating the HR system with any management action taken
- Assist the wider People Services team in maintaining the shared email inbox, answering first contact queries in a timely fashion and escalating any complex issues to the relevant team member or manager for resolution
Where you'll work
Overline House
Blechynden Terrace
Southampton
SO15 1AL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BABINGTON BUSINESS COLLEGE LIMITED
Training course
HR support (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Service Delivery: Delivers excellent customer service on a range of HR queries and requirements, providing solutions, advice and support primarily to managers. Builds managers’ expertise in HR matters, improving their ability to handle repeated situations themselves where appropriate. Uses agreed systems and processes to deliver service to customers. Takes the initiative to meet agreed individual and team KPIs in line with company policy, values, standards. Plans and organises their work, often without direct supervision, to meet commitments and KPIs.
- Problem Solving: Uses sound questioning and active listening skills to understand requirements and establish root causes before developing HR solutions. Takes ownership through to resolution, escalating complex situations as appropriate.
- Communication & Interpersonal: Deals effectively with customers/colleagues, using sound interpersonal skills and communicating well through a range of media eg phone, face to face, email, internet. Adapts their style to their audience. Builds trust and sound relationships with customers. Handles conflict and sensitive HR situations professionally and confidentially.
- Teamwork: Consistently supports colleagues /collaborates within the team and HR to achieve results. Builds/maintains strong working relationships with others in the team and across HR where necessary.
- Process Improvement: Identifies opportunities to improve HR performance and service; acts on them within the authority of their role. Supports implementation of HR changes/projects with the business.
- Managing HR Information: Maintains required HR records as part of services delivered. Prepares reports and management information from HR data, with interpretation as required.
- Personal Development: Keeps up to date with business changes and HR legal/policy/process changes relevant to their role. Seeks feedback and acts on it to improve their performance and overall capability.
Training schedule
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Team working
- Patience
About this employer
South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.
https://careers.southwesternrailway.com (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent) 75% discount on many other train operating companies Excellent pension scheme
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Multiple opportunities for career progression on successful completion of this apprenticeship
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BABINGTON BUSINESS COLLEGE LIMITED
swrapprenticeships@swrailway.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344324.
Apply now
Closes in 31 days (Friday 31 October 2025)
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