Business Admin Apprentice

Summary

Kickstart your career with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) as a Business Administration Apprentice. This role offers hands-on experience across a range of departments. Rotating through key service support areas to gain a broad understanding of how CFRS operates and supports the community of Cheshire, Halton, and Warrington.

Wage

£24,309.07 a year

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Cheshire Fire are a UK Living Wage (Living Wage Foundation) employer. Increases to hourly rates are advised by the Foundation at the beginning of November each year.

Training course

Business administrator (level 3)

Hours

Will most likely be 09:00 - 17:00, Monday to Friday. However, this is a full time post and the successful applicant will need to work flexibly.

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

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

The main purpose of this job role is to provide administrative support across Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, helping ensure the smooth and effective operation of our departments.

Your main duties will include:

Handling telephone, email and in-person enquiries
Maintaining accurate records and electronic filing systems
Supporting the organisation of meetings and events
Preparing reports, presentations, and correspondence using Microsoft Office
Ordering stationery, supplies and refreshments using the Service’s ordering system
Providing a professional, customer focussed approach to both internal and external customers
Providing excellent customer service to internal and external contacts

If you’re enthusiastic about developing your career, keen to work in a professional and community-focused organisation, and ready to learn in a supportive environment - we encourage you to apply.

Where you'll work

Headquarters
Sadler Road
Winsford
Cheshire
CW7 2FQ

Training

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

College or training organisation

WARRINGTON & VALE ROYAL COLLEGE

Your training course

Business administrator (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Skilled in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data. Examples include MS Office or equivalent packages. Able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required.
Produces accurate records and documents including: emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals. Makes recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. Drafts correspondence, writes reports and able to review others' work. Maintains records and files, handles confidential information in compliance with the organisation's procedures. Coaches others in the processes required to complete these tasks.
Exercises proactivity and good judgement. Makes effective decisions based on sound reasoning and is able to deal with challenges in a mature way. Seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate.
Builds and maintains positive relationships within their own team and across the organisation. Demonstrates ability to influence and challenge appropriately. Becomes a role model to peers and team members, developing coaching skills as they gain area knowledge.
Demonstrates good communication skills, whether face-to-face, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. Uses the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively. Demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. Understands and applies social media solutions appropriately. Answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department.
Completes tasks to a high standard. Demonstrates the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and applies themself to continuously improve their work. Is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. Shares administrative best-practice across the organisation e.g. coaches others to perform tasks correctly. Applies problem-solving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues.
Takes responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. Positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace. Makes suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment (e.g. impact on clients, suppliers, other parts of the organisation). Manages resources e.g. equipment or facilities. Organises meetings and events, takes minutes during meetings and creates action logs as appropriate. Takes responsibility for logistics e.g. travel and accommodation.
Uses relevant project management principles and tools to scope, plan, monitor and report. Plans required resources to successfully deliver projects. Undertakes and leads projects as and when required.

Your training plan

As part of this apprenticeship, you will:

Complete a Level 3 Business Administration qualification
Receive guidance and support from experienced colleagues
Have dedicated time during the working week for training and coursework
Attend Warrington and Vale Royal College one day per week for 12 weeks, from January 2026
Be responsible for travel to and from college (with expenses covered by the Service)

More training information

This apprenticeship offers further enriched development opportunities, which includes:

Attendance at staff engagement events: World Mental Health Day, International Women’s Day, and Cheshire Safety Day
Familiarising with different areas of the Service; a day in the life of a firefighter, community Safe and Well visits, fire safety audits, educational Key stage 1 & 2 visits and Kings Trust programmes among others

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

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

Other in:

2 additional GCSEs (grade 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
Organisation skills
Number skills
Team working
Willing to learn
Literacy

Other requirements

Interviews will take place on Friday 18th July 2025. The apprenticeship is for 18 months and the start date is Monday 1st September 2025.

About this company

We are a highly professional, fully inclusive organisation that values, supports and offers growth to our staff whatever their role. We engender a working environment where everyone can be themselves. Our core values amplify our ethos: • Be inclusive by acting fairly with integrity, respect and without prejudice. • Do the right thing by holding each other to account for ensuring high standards of professionalism in everything we do. • Act with compassion by being understanding and offering help to each other and to our communities with warmth, patience and kindness. • Make a difference by making an impact on our organisation and in our communities in whatever ways we can for as many people as we can. • Our core values underpin and support the National Fire Chiefs Council Core Code of Ethics Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is managed by Cheshire Fire Authority. The Authority comprises councillors from our local communities of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington. The councillors make decisions on things like policy, finance and resources. The Service is led by the Chief Fire Officer and the Service Management Team. We have 28 fire stations staffed in a number of different ways to reflect local risks and demands, three community safety (home safety) centres, three community fire protection (business safety) offices, a safety centre in Lymm, an operational training centre and workshops at our Sadler Road site in Winsford along with a joint headquarters facility with Cheshire Constabulary in Winsford. Our emergency call handling function is provided by North West Fire Control, based at Lingley Mere in Warrington. North West Fire Control is a collaboration between four fire and rescue services providing a control room operation for Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Lancashire. We respond to emergency incidents across the four unitary council areas of: • Halton • Warrington • Cheshire East • Cheshire West and Chester What do we do? We respond to all emergency calls from the public for assistance. Many emergency calls, however, are not to fires but to incidents where members of the community are trapped in vehicles following road traffic collisions, trapped in machinery, or trapped in less life threatening circumstances as well as being called to chemical spillages and toxic emissions. We also deal with many other domestic situations such as flooding, storm damage, people unable to gain access to premises, animals in distress etc. Along with dealing with incidents we also provide community safety advice, which help us to reduce risks and to improve the lives and safety of Cheshire’s residents and businesses.

https://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

CFRS offers an excellent benefits package to all our staff including a Local Government Pension Scheme, attractive holiday entitlement, training and development opportunities and access to free parking and on-site gym.

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

Temporary fixed term contract for 18 months. The apprentice will be able to apply for any other suitable roles within the service

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