Building Services Maintenance Apprentice

Summary

We are seeking to appoint an apprentice to join the Campus Operations team, within Estates, who offer a reactive and planned maintenance service to University-owned properties across all our campuses and sites. You will be supported to learn how to carry out a variety of mechanical and plumbing basic reactive and planned maintenance tasks.

Wage

£23,144 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Annual salary increment increase.

Training course

Building services engineering service and maintenance engineer (level 3)

Hours

Average of 36 hours per week, Monday-Friday, but some flexibility may be needed during peak periods. Some weekend working may be necessary in the event of a major Incident, emergency or planned repair - for these periods, overtime is payable.

36 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

4 years 3 months

Positions available

2

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 role holder will assist in the provision an effective and prompt customer focussed, professional and efficient service to the University in accordance with its requirements, aims, objectives and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).

Main duties and responsibilities to include:

Take instructions from an experienced member of the Mechanical or Plumbing Team or the Reactive Maintenance Manager in order to independently complete basic Reactive and Planned maintenance plumbing, heating and ventilation tasks.
Safely operate basic equipment and seeking assistance from an experienced plumber or engineer when required.
To gain an understanding of the relevant University philosophies and regulations, and to assist in preparation work for engineering statutory insurance inspections.
To be proactive in maintaining, supporting & promoting a secure and safe working environment for all customers, staff and visitors.
Maintain regular contact with customers and stakeholders to ensure that the services provided meet their needs & expectations affecting them in a timely manner.
To model, and consistently champion, the University’s key values and behaviours.

Where you'll work

Estates Building
Shinfield Road
Reading
RG6 6DQ

Training

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

College or training organisation

NEWBURY COLLEGE

Your training course

Building services engineering service and maintenance engineer (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Apply safe working practices and comply with safe working methods, including highlighting control method application and safe systems of work.
Comply with current company policies and procedures.
Undertake dynamic risk assessment to identify and manage a safe working environment.
Produce a risk assessment.
Produce a method statement.
Plan work activities.
Apply sustainable principles and techniques.
Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance.
Follow organisational and site procedures for waste management across the site.
Plan, organise, and carry out tasks in a way that utilises resources, for example cost, quality, safety, security, and environmental impact.
Plan, organise, prepare, and secure area of work for setting out and work activities.
Minimise delays to planned work.
Amend and replan work activities.
Prepare and maintain work areas to ensure safe access and egress for self and others.
Select, use, secure and store hand and power tools, equipment, and components.
Interpret information from sources such as manufacturer's instructions, drawings, plans, specifications, or previous reports.
Carry out testing and commissioning of a building services engineering system.
Carry out decommission of a building services engineering system.
Undertake planned maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
Undertake reactive maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
Isolate building service engineering systems.
Identify and diagnose faults and outline solutions for resolution.
Replace components.
Communicate options in writing for repairs, replacements or improvements including the impact of cost, and timescales in writing.
Handover completed maintenance activities.
Use information technology and digital systems to monitor and manage the operation of plant and equipment.
Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
Provide internal feedback.
Communicate verbally with internal and external stakeholders using sector specific terminology.
Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion principles and policy.
Refer problems outside of own responsibility or authority to the relevant person.
Identify, carry out and record industry related continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
Repair components.
Apply safe working practices and comply with safe working methods, including highlighting control method application and safe systems of work.
Comply with current company policies and procedures.
Undertake dynamic risk assessment to identify and manage a safe working environment.
Produce a risk assessment.
Produce a method statement.
Plan work activities.
Apply sustainable principles and techniques.
Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance.
Follow organisational and site procedures for waste management across the site.
Plan, organise, and carry out tasks in a way that utilises resources, for example cost, quality, safety, security, and environmental impact.
Plan, organise, prepare, and secure area of work for setting out and work activities.
Minimise delays to planned work.
Amend and replan work activities.
Prepare and maintain work areas to ensure safe access and egress for self and others.
Select, use, secure and store hand and power tools, equipment, and components.
Interpret information from sources such as manufacturer's instructions, drawings, plans, specifications, or previous reports.
Carry out testing and commissioning of a building services engineering system.
Carry out decommission of a building services engineering system.
Undertake planned maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
Undertake reactive maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
Isolate building service engineering systems.
Identify and diagnose faults and outline solutions for resolution.
Replace components.
Communicate options in writing for repairs, replacements or improvements including the impact of cost, and timescales in writing.
Handover completed maintenance activities.
Use information technology and digital systems to monitor and manage the operation of plant and equipment.
Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
Provide internal feedback.
Communicate verbally with internal and external stakeholders using sector specific terminology.
Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion principles and policy.
Refer problems outside of own responsibility or authority to the relevant person.
Identify, carry out and record industry related continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
Repair components.

Your training plan

Apprenticeship training will take place at Newbury College, 1 day/week during term time. This will take place during the working week, during your paid working hours.

Apprenticeship training is expected to be 48 months, plus a 3 month End Point Assessment period.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade C/4 or above)
Maths (grade C/4 or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Customer care skills

Other requirements

The Reactive Maintenance Team are based on the Reading Whiteknights Campus, with some travel to sites at London Road Campus and Greenlands in Henley required from time to time. The post holder must be willing and able to travel between University campuses and Newbury College when required.

About this company

Occupying three beautiful campuses (Whiteknights, with its early 19th century planned landscape, London Road with its formal gardens and ceremonial Great Hall, and Greenlands, Henley-on-Thames, with its riverside garden landscape) the unique “University within a Park” setting of the University of Reading is an inspiring place to come to work. With such a varied portfolio, there is never a dull day in the Estates Team here at Reading. As well as being responsible for the management and maintenance of the University’s academic teaching and research buildings, we also care for a significant collection of Champion Trees, an expansive lake, and the university SportsPark. We are seeking to appoint a Building Services Maintenance Apprentice to join the Campus Operations team, within Estates, who offer a reactive and planned maintenance service to University owned properties across all our campuses and sites.

https://www.reading.ac.uk/about/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Generous annual leave scheme up to 21 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays and additional closure days. Members of staff have the opportunity to join a pension scheme offered by the University.

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

This role provides a fantastic opportunity for those looking for their first building services maintenance role to gain experience of working in a friendly and supportive estate team.

Our previous apprentices have been successful in progressing on to permanent roles and further apprenticeships within the Estates team at the University.

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