Communications Apprentice (Customer Service Apprenticeship)

Tendring District Council

Essex (CO15 1SE)

Closes in 18 days (Sunday 26 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 7 October 2025


Summary

To work as part of a busy Communications Team based within the Council. You will support with delivering excellent social media (both proactive and reactive), help manage relationships with other services and external stakeholders, and provide general support to the whole team.

Wage

£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Customer service practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday 0845 hrs to - 1715 hrs Monday to Thursday 0845 hrs to – 1645 hrs Friday Rare but occasional evening and weekend work may be required

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 5 January 2026

Duration

1 year 3 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

-       Posting to social media channels.

-       Supporting content creation for social media

-       Responding to social media messages

-       Monitor media coverage

-       Supporting the wider team at events

-       To undertake filing, photocopying and general office duties.

-       Curating image libraries.
 

Where you'll work

Town Hall
Station Road
Clacton-on-Sea
Essex
CO15 1SE

Training

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

Training provider

TENDRING DISTRICT COUNCIL

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

Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard at Level 2

Providing customer service products and services for businesses and other organisations including face-to-face, telephone, digital and written contact and communications.

The Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard at Level 2 combines the knowledge, skills and behaviours required of the standard and includes functional skills in maths and English. 

Delivery will be in the workplace with an assessor or coach through a combination of assessing, coaching, training and mentoring.

The minimum duration on the apprenticeship is 12 months, with an additional 3 months for an externally assessed end point assessment.    

A total of 15 months plus functional skills if required. Prior learning and experience will also be taken into consideration.

Further information on the standard can be viewed here - https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/customer-service-practitioner-v1-1

 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4)
  • Maths (grade 4)

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
  • Administrative skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental

About this employer

Tendring District Council is the local authority covering the area, which includes the towns of Clacton, Harwich, Manningtree, Frinton, Walton and Brightlingsea. It is responsible for a range of services, including waste collection, housing and homelessness, planning, economic growth, leisure, a theatre, and much more.

http://www.tendringdc.gov.uk (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

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

A significant proportion of Level 2 apprentices within Tendring District Council go on to either complete the next level of apprenticeship (often within the council), or secure a permanent position within the council.

 

This could be within the same team (Communications) if there is a vacancy, or elsewhere in the authority building upon the general skills and knowledge gained during the apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Tendring District Council

Will Lodge

wlodge@tendringdc.gov.uk

01255 686338

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000345398.

Apply now

Closes in 18 days (Sunday 26 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

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