Retail Assistant Apprentice

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE (COVENT GARDEN) LTD

LONDON (WC2E 9DD)

Closes in 24 days (Sunday 7 June 2026)

Posted on 13 May 2026

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Summary

As an arts charity, the RBO relies on the shop as a vital source of income to support our work both delivering productions on stage and performing community outreach. The apprentice will gain an understanding of the role a retail offering plays in an arts organisation, of being a Retail Assistant and delivering excellent customer service.

Wage

£16,640 to £26,436.80, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Including ROH staff benefits and ticket offers

Training course
Retailer (level 2)
Hours
Monday - Sunday rota of shifts, may work evenings and weekends, working hours TBC.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 7 September 2026

Duration

1 year 2 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

  • You will gain experience of sales and all aspects of customer service; face to face, on the phone and on-line
  • You will learn to complete online orders to ensure they are processed efficiently and correctly
  • You will develop skills for accurate and efficient handling of in-person transactions in our shop and learn to work to the Royal Opera House Shop service standards
  • You will learn how to advise customers and process orders received by phone, mail and our website
  • Learn how to work in line with our Customer Relationship Management strategy
  • You will learn about the Royal Opera House’s opera and ballet repertoire in order to provide positive and accurate information, advice and assistance in response to all enquiries
  • You will learn how to undertake comprehensive and accurate manual counting in stock-takes as directed
  • You will learn the procedure of opening and closure of shop ensuring security awareness and general vigilance
  • You will learn how to maintain high standard of housekeeping in all shop and storage areas in accordance with safety and security procedures
  • You will learn how to correctly comply with PCI and GDPR requirements in relation to dealing with card payments and personal data

Where you'll work

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
WC2E 9DD

Training

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

Training provider

LIFETIME TRAINING GROUP LIMITED

Training course

Retailer (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Communicate with customers to meet their requirements and encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
  • Serve customers in line with brand standards, legislation, business procedures and the values of the business.
  • Provide a retail service that balances the customers’ needs with additional linked products and services.
  • Use face to face or online sales techniques such as product and price comparisons to support or influence the customer in their purchasing decisions.
  • Promote seasonal or local offers through in-store or online promotions.
  • Identify situations that may damage business reputation in line with company policy and escalate as required.
  • Maintain good merchandising to meet the needs of the business whilst ensuring safety.
  • Maintain stock levels and storage conditions such as correct temperature, lighting, ventilation, packaging to meet customer demand and minimise stock loss.
  • Use technology and applications to support sales and service ensuring that maintenance issues are reported.
  • Support team and colleague development through buddying and/or coaching.
  • Comply with regulations and legislation relevant to their role and business.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement activities which focus on improving sustainability within the business.
  • Handle complaints within remit or escalate as appropriate.
  • Support sales across a range of promotional events throughout the calendar year.
  • Communicate with customers to meet their requirements and encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
  • Serve customers in line with brand standards, legislation, business procedures and the values of the business.
  • Provide a retail service that balances the customers’ needs with additional linked products and services.
  • Use face to face or online sales techniques such as product and price comparisons to support or influence the customer in their purchasing decisions.
  • Promote seasonal or local offers through in-store or online promotions.
  • Identify situations that may damage business reputation in line with company policy and escalate as required.
  • Maintain good merchandising to meet the needs of the business whilst ensuring safety.
  • Maintain stock levels and storage conditions such as correct temperature, lighting, ventilation, packaging to meet customer demand and minimise stock loss.
  • Use technology and applications to support sales and service ensuring that maintenance issues are reported.
  • Support team and colleague development through buddying and/or coaching.
  • Comply with regulations and legislation relevant to their role and business.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement activities which focus on improving sustainability within the business.
  • Handle complaints within remit or escalate as appropriate.
  • Support sales across a range of promotional events throughout the calendar year.

Training schedule

  • You will study for a Level 2 Retailer Apprenticeships Standard
  • Sessions will be delivered online with time in your working week assigned to your study
  • You will have a personal learning coach who will ensure you are making progress on your course
  • The provider can also provide any additional learning support you might require to ensure you are successful
  • The provider will guide you through the end point assessment period on completion of your qualification
  • You can take functional skills in maths and English (if required)

Requirements

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
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Flexible approach

Other requirements

We are looking for applicants who have an interest in Arts and or Theatre and who are enthusiastic to develop a career in retail.

About this employer

The Royal Ballet & Opera (www.roh.org.uk) is one of the most famous stages in the world for opera and ballet. The iconic theatre is home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, with more than 290 performances given in the main auditorium each year. More than 950 staff work at the Royal Ballet & Opera in areas ranging from lighting, costume making, set building and scenic art, marketing, finance, box office, IT and fundraising and our apprenticeships scheme works across all areas.

http://www.roh.org.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

  • We hope that during your time with our retail team you will gather skills and experience that will take you on to other retail positions in either customer facing roles or online retail
  • You may develop an interest in pursuing a different role such as buyer or customer service manager in future and this should be an excellent springboard into your developing a career

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE (COVENT GARDEN) LTD

RBO Apprenticeships

apprentices@roh.org.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000031392.

Apply now

Closes in 24 days (Sunday 7 June 2026)

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