Customer Service Apprentice (Young People Services)

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Recruiting nationally

Closes in 10 days (Saturday 20 June 2026)

Posted on 10 June 2026

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Summary

Be part of an outstanding council apprenticeship programme with a nationally recognised, Top 100 Apprentice Employer and Regionally awarded Apprentice Employer of the Year. Join us on a permanent contract, gain real experience and a recognised qualification, and progress your career within the council. 

• Wage:

  £24,796 a year

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Starting salary of £24,796 rising to £25,185 during the apprenticeship, As a Local Living Wage employer, Top Up will be applied to bring your salary up to £25,949.

• Training course: Customer service practitioner (level 2)
• Hours: Monday to Friday, typically 9am–5pm (37 hours per week). Flexible working arrangements are in place, with exact hours to be agreed.

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 13 July 2026

• Duration:

  1 year

• 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

The customer service apprentice is a key role within Cheshire West Young People Services, which is within the wider Health & Wellbeing Directorate.

This apprenticeship offers opportunity to be part of the team and gain
valuable skills and knowledge of young people’s journeys post 16 in
education, employment, and training. You would be based initially in our offices, then have the opportunity to work across the borough within the community.
The customer service apprentice will undertake a wide range of essential administrative and record keeping duties as part of a team, learning to maintain a quality service providing resources, information and advice to customers. You will also make 1-1 contact with our young people and their families/carers to establish their participation in education, employment or training.

This role will have a line manager, workplace mentor, inclusive
employment manager and a dedicated apprentice programme tutor.

On successful completion of the level 2 customer service practitioner
apprenticeship standard will progress to the substantive post of Tracking and Monitoring Officer.

This role is ‘Hybrid’ which means working from Council Hub buildings,
from home or in client visits and must be able to travel across the Borough use of own vehicle for business purposes.
Please note that this job is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Notwithstanding the detail in this job description, the job holder will
undertake such work as may be determined by the Manager from time to time, up to or at a level consistent with the Principal Responsibilities of the job.

With appropriate support and supervision, the Apprentice will:

• Process and record information using relevant
  IT packages, all the activities of YPS and EHP in accordance with Council procedures to provide accurate and up-to-date information relating to young people and their interventions.
• Action, review, monitor and update all the records within appropriate data bases used by council children’s services to ensure data integrity
• Support the administrative tasks around the September Guarantee, not known and destination follow up
• Engage with young people and their carers via doorstep visits/telephone call and emails to ascertain their destinations and
• September Guarantee reducing the not known cohort
• Support the wider operational team with allocating caseloads
• Keep external websites up to date for the service
• Liaise with others including Senior Managers, administrators, learning providers and Council departments in order to ensure that information is efficiently processed and recorded
• Ensure issues identified are reported in a timely manner

Where you'll work

This role is ‘Hybrid’ which means working from Council Hub buildings,
from home or in client visits and must be able to travel across the Borough use of own vehicle for business purposes, as well as at Council offices and across the Borough as required, but there will be an expectation that you will need to be in the office at Ellesmere Port.

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

CHESHIRE COLLEGE SOUTH AND WEST

Training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
• Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
• Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
• Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand.
• Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
• Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate patience and calmness.
• Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
• Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers needs and manage expectations.
• Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Training schedule

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying on employer sites or via Microsoft Teams. Delivery is to be discussed with the training provider and the hiring manager must suit operational needs.

More training information

Training will be delivered through a blend of workplace learning and formal off‑the‑job training.

Most training will take place at the apprentice’s normal place of work, with additional learning delivered by the training provider through college attendance, online learning, workshops, or Microsoft Teams.

Training will take place on a regular basis throughout the apprenticeship, with protected time during working hours to attend training sessions, complete learning activities, and prepare for assessments.

The exact schedule will be agreed between the apprentice, line manager, and training provider as part of the individual training plan.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 9-4 C-A*)
• Maths (grade 9-4 C-A*)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Presentation skills
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Excel

Other requirements

Expectation that you will need to be in the Ellesmere Port office twice a week.

This role is classed as ‘agile’, which means that the post holder’s primary base will be to work from home, as well as at Council offices and across the Borough as required.

About this employer

Our work spans over 3,900 colleagues across hundreds of roles, professions and services, making us one of the most diverse and complex employers in the region. We are responsible for delivering a wide range of essential public services and strategic priorities that shape the places, communities and lives of our residents every single day.

From frontline delivery to professional, technical and corporate roles, our organisation brings together expertise from across disciplines to respond to the evolving needs of our borough — supporting people, strengthening communities and driving long-term change at scale.

https://www.cwcrecruitment.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Hired as Permanent on this apprenticeship from day one. We work closely and positively with our recognised trade unions UNISON, GMB and UNITE to make sure that the views of our colleagues are heard.

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

On successful completion of the apprenticeship, the post
holder will progress to the substantive post of Information Technician.

This Apprenticeship has a permanent contract of employment. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CHESHIRE COLLEGE SOUTH AND WEST

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000036176.

Apply now

Closes in 10 days (Saturday 20 June 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.