Improvement Practitioner Apprentice
West Sussex County Council
West Sussex (PO19 1RQ)
Closes in 14 days (Tuesday 2 June 2026)
Posted on 19 May 2026
Contents
Summary
We are looking for an apprentice with a positive can-do attitude and a strong desire to learn and grow to join the Highways, Transport & Planning department at West Sussex County Council.
- Wage
-
£25,583 a year
- Training course
- Improvement practitioner (level 4)
- Hours
-
Mon-Fri, hours TBC
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Wednesday 1 July 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
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
As an Improvement Practitioner Apprentice with WSCC, you’ll work alongside experienced colleagues and business analysts to support the delivery of efficient, high-quality services. You’ll gain hands-on experience in analysing how services operate, identifying opportunities for improvement, and helping to implement practical solutions that benefit both the organisation and local communities.
You’ll develop a strong understanding of business processes, project work and continuous improvement methods, while building your skills in communication, teamwork and problem-solving. Your role will combine practical, on-the-job experience with structured apprenticeship learning, enabling you to apply new techniques directly to real work challenges.
Typical day-to-day tasks may include:
- Supporting process mapping activities to understand how services work
- Assisting with data collection and analysis to identify trends and improvements
- Working with colleagues to help develop and implement solutions
- Contributing to project work and continuous improvement initiatives
- Attending meetings and sharing ideas or progress updates
- Managing your own tasks to meet deadlines and priorities
- Completing apprenticeship assignments and building your portfolio
- Communicating with team members and stakeholders to deliver a customer-focused service
Throughout the apprenticeship, you’ll take increasing responsibility, using your initiative to solve problems and contribute to meaningful improvements across services.
Where you'll work
County Hall
West Street
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RQ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CAPELLA ASSOCIATES LTD
Training course
Improvement practitioner (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Compliance: Work in accordance with organisational controls and statutory regulations
- Communication: Speak and write clearly. Influence others, question effectively. Plan and deliver meetings presenting insight to engage audiences
- Coaching: Observe, listen, use questioning, provide feedback and spot learning opportunities
- Project management: Define, sequence, plan and schedule activities with phases and milestones. Estimate effort and duration. Create and update project charter. Review progress
- Change management: Sponsorship contract, surface and manage resistance, build compelling narratives for change, assess change impact
- Principals and Methods: Select and apply a structured method and appropriate improvement tools engaging with subject matter experts to deliver business benefits
- Project selection and Scoping: Support the identification of improvement opportunity and the scoping of these projects
- Problem definition: Support development of problem/opportunity statements
- Voice of the customer: Support application of techniques to identify and prioritise customers, their requirements and ensure balance against the stated and unstated needs of the business (Voice of the Business)
- Process mapping & analysis: Process map to measure and analyse flow and value. Identify interfaces, functional responsibilities and ownership. Use insight to identify potential opportunities and map future state
- Lean tools: Seek in-process waste through understanding of value within the value stream
- Measurements systems: Plan, carry out and assess results of a measurement system study
- Data acquisition for analysis: Develop a sampling strategy
- Basic statistics & measures: Use graphical analysis to understand distribution and stability
- Data analysis-statistical methods: Identify data-types and select analysis methods and tools. Assess time series data stability and analyse making relevant insight
- Process capability & performance: Select methods and metrics for analysis
- Root cause analysis: Select and apply the appropriate graphical tool dependent on the data type to identify patterns, trends and signals to establish hypothesis
- Experimentation & optimisation: Plan designed experiment with clear objectives, and appropriate levels of Measurement Systems Analysis, analyse experiment data and optimise
- Identification & prioritisation: Identify and prioritise factors, ideas and solutions
- Data analysis – SPC: Select and apply appropriate tools for ongoing monitoring and control. Analyse and interpret control charts
- Benchmarking: Conduct structured benchmarking to support target setting
- Sustainability & control: Identify failure modes and embed learning from improvements
Training schedule
You will complete the Level 4 Improvement Practitioner Apprenticeship, developing your knowledge, skills and behaviours alongside your day-to-day role.
Training will be delivered by Capella using a blended approach, including live virtual sessions, one-to-one coaching, digital learning and dedicated off-the-job training time.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level in:
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
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Team working
- Initiative
Other requirements
If you do not have Level 2 English and maths, you will need to achieve this alongside the apprenticeship.
About this employer
West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents every day. Our teams use their experience to enable and challenge the Council to deliver improved efficiency and effectiveness.
https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
You will benefit from 25 days annual leave, option to buy more leave, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Employee discounts on travel, shopping and leisure, plus equipment provided where needed to support your role.
After this apprenticeship
Although there are no guarantees, completion of this apprenticeship would place the successful applicant in a strong position in any suitable recruitment that may take place, at the end of the programme.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
West Sussex County Council
Antony Innes
antony.innes@westsussex.gov.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000032504.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Tuesday 2 June 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.