Apprenticeship Engagement HR Support Apprentice

Job summary

Are you creative and do you enjoy looking at different ways to engage colleagues?

Do you enjoy working with other people and teams?

Would others say you have strong communication skills?

Are you looking for a route into an exciting career, where you can make a real difference?

If the answer to these questions is ‘Yes’ click that apply button now and become our next Apprenticeship Engagement HR Support Apprentice.

In the role you will work as part of the Apprenticeship Team, working as part of the team responsible for delivering apprenticeships within the DWP.

The DWP Apprenticeship Team delivers over 60 apprenticeship programmes from Level 2 to Level 7 across a range of professions, supporting around 1,800 apprentices at any one time. The DWP is recognised as one of the UK’s leading apprenticeship employers, having been ranked 15th in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and recognised as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer by Higherin.com.

With the introduction of the 2030 Apprenticeships, Growth and Skills Strategy, the team is entering a new phase, shaping a modern apprenticeship offer aligned to government policy and workforce needs. The team works closely with business areas, professions, and providers, playing a key leadership role across the Civil Service.

Alongside your role in the Apprenticeship Team, you will also have the opportunity to continually learn, working towards completion of the Level 3 HR Support apprenticeship. We are here to support you with your learning and self-development throughout the apprenticeship and beyond. You will grow your skills and experience through working with more experienced colleagues and through the support of other people in the same profession.

This is an exciting opportunity to earn as you learn and gain practical experience while you study. You’ll receive formal learning to develop crucial skills, knowledge and behaviours for your career and be part of a great team. You will be part of the Human Resources Profession, looking after our most precious resource – our people.

Job description

The job may include a range of duties, including:

• Support apprenticeship recruitment activities, including developing and delivering external communications and marketing content across social media and digital channels to attract young people and promote DWP as an employer of choice.
• Proactively work with a range of stakeholders including learners, line managers and capability leads to support the delivery of apprenticeships and resolve HR issues by providing HR advice, handling queries and escalating where appropriate and ensuring HR legislation is properly applied.
• Support the team’s communications and engagement activities, including drafting content, coordinating events, managing digital channels and supporting campaigns such as National Apprenticeship Week.
• Assist strategy and planning activities, including data analysis, preparation of briefings, papers and submissions, and tracking delivery against objective.
• Assist experience and delivery activities, including coordination of apprenticeship journeys, insight gathering and continuous improvement activity.
• Assist with procurement and provider-related activity, ensuring records are maintained, accurate reporting, tracking actions and ensuring processes are followed.
• Using Microsoft 365 tools (Teams, SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) to manage information, collaborate effectively and support team activity.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve ways of working and contribute to the continuous improvement of the apprenticeship team activities.
• Support work across the team to bring the 2030 Apprenticeships, Growth and Skills Strategy to life.

Person specification

Key criteria

As Apprenticeship Engagement HR Support Apprentice, upon completion of the required learning and practical experience, you will:

• Demonstrate effective, flexible leadership and communication skills with an ability to reach a diverse audience and be prepared to engage effectively with others.
• Have excellent organisational and planning capabilities.
• Demonstrate strong judgement and decision-making skills.
• Present information to internal and external audiences in a professional and credible manner.
• Be able to work effectively as an individual and as part of a team.
• Inspire others through positivity, drive and energy to achieve outcomes and deliver change.

Learning requirements

The DWP is committed to investing in people and developing a professional workforce.

During your apprenticeship you will be asked to produce a portfolio of work demonstrating your learning and use of different tools and techniques which may include:

• Understanding HR legislation and policy
• Problem solving through questioning and active listening skills
• Using HR systems, tools and processes

The HR Support Apprenticeship is expected to take up to 18 months to complete, however the full learning journey for this role will take up to 24 months. You will be given time out from your role to work on your apprenticeship. You must be committed to seeing through the apprenticeship and completing the qualification within the appropriate time period.

You will be supported by your line manager, skills coach, fellow apprentices and DWP Apprenticeship Team. You will have access to a variety of sources of encouragement to help you succeed. There is a lot to learn and do, so you need to be proactive, work hard and participate in the many opportunities you will be given to showcase your skills.

Please Note -

Successful appointments to this role will be subject to completion of the apprenticeship programme. Failure to achieve the required apprenticeship may result in redeployment into another DWP role (or DWP formal procedures being used which could result in termination of contract).

Further information on the HR Support Apprenticeship can be found at Skills England.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for this appointment and the apprenticeship funding, there are a number of eligibility criteria set out by DWP. Full details can be found at Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK. Candidates should ensure that they can meet these before applying. Some key points are listed below:

• Have the right to live and work in the UK valid for the full 24-month duration of the apprenticeship and associated learning journey.
• Must have lived in the UK and/or EEA for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date or hold some form of exemption see Government funding rules - Annex A
• Not be in full-time education or be already undertaking another apprenticeship by the apprenticeship start date. If you are 16 or 17 you are required to stay in full time education or training until you are 18 – commencing this apprenticeship will allow you to meet this requirement.
• You must not hold an existing qualification at the same or higher level in a similar subject to the apprenticeship. A qualification in a non-related subject would be acceptable.
• You must not already have significant previous work experience covering the knowledge, skills and behaviours demonstrated in the apprenticeship standard HR Support / Skills England. If you have already worked in a similar field such as human resources, you should consider applying for other vacancies that do not require you to complete the apprenticeship, as too much relevant experience will make you ineligible and we would need to withdraw the offer in these circumstances.
• Apprentices aged 16 to 18 at the start of their apprenticeship that do not already hold a relevant English and Maths qualification will still be required to complete the appropriate functional skills qualifications to pass their apprenticeship.
• Adult learners over the age of 19 who still wish to work towards a Level 2 Functional Skills qualification voluntarily can draw upon Government funding to do so, either during their apprenticeship, or through a separate standalone qualification at another time.

Please list your qualifications in the qualification section.

Failure to meet any of the eligibility criteria may result in you being withdrawn.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Relationship Building
• Learning Commitment

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,137, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £9,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the following actions:

Online Test:

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Situational Judgement and Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass the tests, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55pm on Tuesday 21st July. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

There will be maintenance for online tests on Sunday 19th July 2026. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between 4pm and 7pm. Your progress will be saved, and you will be able to continue once the tests are available again.

Should you require further information on this particular online test, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparing-for-the-civil-service-verbal-and-…

Written Sift:

Please provide a CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility but is not scored so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your written statements.

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your responses to the following key questions based on Technical Skills:

Q1. Relationship Building - Describe a time when you have built relationships to achieve a positive outcome. (Lead Question)

Q2. Learning Commitment - Provide an example of when you have demonstrated your passion and commitment to learning.

Please answer each of these two questions, using no more than 250-words in response to each individual question. Candidates should ensure their responses clearly evidence their skills, experience, and suitability for the role, drawing on relevant examples that demonstrate how they meet the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. Candidates should share with us why they are suited to this role, what you can do, the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experiences or passion you have that are linked to this role.

In the event of a large number of applications an initial sift will be carried out on responses to the lead question (Q1). Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift or direct to interview.

Apprenticeship Eligibility and Skills Check

Candidates who reach the required pass mark at sift will progress to interview and their details will be passed to our external apprenticeship provider BPP.

BPP will contact each candidate and undertake a check of the following.

• Qualifications
• Eligibility
• Skills Scan

The Eligibility and Skills check is scheduled to be held from 3 August 2026 to 7 August 2026. These dates may be subject to change.

Please ensure you engage with BPP to enable this check to take place as failure to do so may result in us being unable to progress your application. Communications will be electronic and/or by SMS/telephone therefore it is important that you check your email account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number - it's important that you answer so your eligibility can be confirmed.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview lasting up to 45 minutes. This will take place via MS Teams. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people and will assess Behaviours, Experience and Strengths.

Indicative Sift and Interview Timeline:

• Sift week commencing 20th July
• Interviews week commencing 31st August

Hybrid Working:

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office. If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Important Information – Visa Sponsorship

Please note that these vacancies are not currently eligible for new applications for Visa Sponsorship on the Skilled Worker route, for any candidates who do not currently have permission to be in the UK as a Skilled Worker where they were sponsored before 4 April 2024, even if relying on tradeable points (including the new entrant tradeable points option) as they are not included in the published Immigration Salary List. This information is offered as guidance only, and we recommend that applicants seek specialist advice on their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship (if applicable) when considering whether to apply for any role.

Further Information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Integrity, plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

• Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website

Important

If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : clt.recruitmentanddeployment@dwp.gov.uk
• Email : clt.recruitmentanddeployment@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB)