Customer Experience Apprentice

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Recruiting nationally

Closes in 15 days (Saturday 11 July 2026)

Posted on 26 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, a Local Living Wage Top Up to £25,985 will be applied during the apprenticeship with further progression upon appointment to the substantive officer role in line with the Council’s pay structure

• Training course: Customer service practitioner (level 2)
• Hours: The apprentice will work within standard Council working hours, with the exact working pattern to be agreed at interview. Some flexibility may be required depending on service needs.

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Thursday 27 August 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

What Your Apprenticeship Will Look Like

This apprenticeship is designed to give you a real understanding of how we support our customers, while helping you build confidence, skills and experience in a supportive environment.

You’ll be part of our Customer Services team from day one, with a dedicated manager and support network to guide you throughout your journey.

Learn Across Different Areas.

During your apprenticeship, you won’t just do one type of work.

Instead, you’ll gradually gain experience across different parts of the Customer Team, including Customer Services, Customer Relations, Customer Experience, and Data and Continuous Improvement — helping you build a broad set of skills and discover what you enjoy most.

You’ll get the chance to:

• Speak to customers and help resolve everyday queries
• Support with more complex enquiries as your apprenticeship grows
• Get involved in improving how we deliver our services
• Learn how we use data to understand and improve customer experience

Responsibilities the Apprentice will with appropriate support and supervision…

• To provide information, advice and services to residents on behalf of Cheshire West & Chester Council
• To efficiently and effectively use information technology, including a Customer Relationship Management system, MS Office applications, call centre technology and the internet, as well as shape its development in order to record and maintain an electronic record of customer details and their service requests
• To provide information and advice on services of the council, external agencies and organisations
• To take responsibility for resolving queries or completing action arising from customer enquiries to act as an advocate on behalf of the customer
• To work as part of the Customer Services Team to provide a cohesive service to the customer
• Flexible approach to working arrangements, including shift work between 8am and 7pm

Where you'll work

The role is based within Cheshire West and Chester; however, many duties take place across multiple locations within the borough.

Candidates must be able to travel regularly and work flexibly across sites. We welcome applications from across England.

Applicants must be able to travel to or relocate within reasonable commuting distance of Cheshire West and Chester.

A driving licence and access to a vehicle are required due to the nature of the role.

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
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience

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

• Permanent apprenticeships 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

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

• On successful completion of the apprenticeship, the post
  holder will progress to the substantive post of Customer Services
  Representative. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CHESHIRE COLLEGE SOUTH AND WEST

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000039382.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Saturday 11 July 2026)

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