Job Description

Job Title:Customer Service Advisor - Apprentice

Band:1

Salary: £27,759

Location: Liverpool/Newport/Norwich/Birmingham

Contract Type: Permanent - Apprentice

(Please note: This Apprenticeship follows the English Apprenticeship Standard for Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship programme. The link to the standard can be found here)

Number of Positions: 2

Hours: Full Time/Compressed Hours

Closing Date: 31/05/26

Interview Date(s): WC 15th June (subject to change)

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Call to action

Do you want to launch your career in a supportive customer service environment? Are you keen to develop strong communication skills and enjoy helping people find solutions while ensuring processes run efficiently?

Our Customer Service Centre (CSC) enquiry teams are at the forefront of helping our customers understand and easily access our services. This role is the essential entry point into the organisation, existing to be a reliable first point of contact for our customers, solving the vital everyday queries that keep public sector buying on track. By joining us, you’ll be the person who ensures customers get the help they need, when they need it, helping Government Commercial Agency (GCA) deliver real value to the UK public sector.

You will join a small cohort of Customer Service Advisors, providing excellent customer service to the 1500+ weekly queries we receive across multiple channels, which includes telephone calls and emails. Reporting to a Team Leader, you will also regularly collaborate with and be supported by a multi-skilled, diverse cohort of 20+ Senior Advisors, currently operating across 4 locations.

Apprenticeship Detail

An Apprenticeship provides work-based, on the job training and development. The training is fully funded so it does not cost you anything and you will earn whilst you learn. They provide you with the skills, knowledge and behaviours you need to be fully effective in a designated role. Therefore, with very few exceptions, you do not need to have related work experience/ qualifications to apply.

What’s important throughout the Apprenticeship is that you put into practice what you learn, and capture evidence of this so your progress and increasing capability can be assessed.

We want you to get the most out of your Apprenticeship. To help you manage your learning we’ll give you over the duration of the Apprenticeship, a minimum of 20% of your paid working hours to focus on skills development. This means you won’t be asked to study in your own time. However, both the role and the Apprenticeship are very demanding and you’ll need to work hard.

You will be assessed throughout and at the end of your Apprenticeship by submitting coursework, undertaking exams and presenting your work to others.

There is plenty of support and you’ll be part of a larger apprentice community and where possible we’ll get you involved in ‘apprenticeship related’ activities, so you’ll get to know people outside of your own team or Department.

Further information can be found in the apprenticeship standard for this Apprenticeship Standard – you should read this to see the skills, knowledge and behaviours you will need to have learned by the end of your apprenticeship:

https://www.google.com/url-q=https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0072-v1-1&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1778499191908344&usg=AOvVaw0sJa8AAHmSyyGXgFa89zhv

There you can also find a link to the assessment plan. This will give you details of how the apprenticeship is assessed.

Apprenticeship Eligibility Criteria:

This is a development role so to be eligible to apply, the training and development you receive during this apprenticeship must provide you with significant new skills and learning. This is an essential requirement for apprenticeship funding and means you must not already be over-qualified or over-experienced in this type of work.

In addition you must:

• Not hold or be working towards a similar level or higher level qualification to the apprenticeship UNLESS this is in a significantly different subject/business area.

• Be aged 16 or over (there is no upper age limit).

• Have the permanent right to work in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK/EU/EA for 3 consecutive years before starting the apprenticeship.

• Have left full-time education by the time the apprenticeship starts and not be in receipt of funding for other learning programmes (including another apprenticeship)

• 2 x GCSES (or equivalent) in Maths and English at Grade C or above (or equivalent).

If you are a graduate you will not be eligible to apply as this apprenticeship is specifically designed to offer opportunities to non-graduates, to complement the various graduate programmes and senior entry routes also available on Civil Service Jobs. These opportunities can be found via: https://www.faststream.gov.uk/

Please Note:

• If you don’t meet the above apprenticeship criteria we cannot progress your application for this role.

• If you are not sure whether or not you meet the criteria please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk

Key Accountabilities:

• Deliver a high-quality service by providing helpful, polite, and accurate information to all customers

• Handle and own incoming queries from the initial contact via phone or email through to a successful resolution

• Manage your own dashboard of open cases within agreed SLAs

• Conduct outbound calls to customers on request to assist with their queries

• Provide guidance on processes to help customers navigate our services

• Accurately record all interactions and ensure customer contact information is kept up to date

• Troubleshoot simple technical issues by following established guides and procedures

• Adhere to a rota schedule, using the telephony system to log your activity

• Collaborate with your own and other teams to find answers for more complex or specialised requests

Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adjust style and tone appropriately for diverse audiences.

• A strong commitment to accuracy when recording and managing information

• Proven ability to manage competing demands, prioritise tasks effectively, consistently meet deadlines and adhere to a set schedule.

• A logical and proactive approach to issue resolution, including the ability to follow established procedures and know when to escalate or seek expert guidance.

• A demonstrable enthusiasm for working effectively with colleagues, sharing insights, and contributing to the achievement of shared goals.

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

Behaviours

• Delivering at Pace

• Managing a Quality Service

• Working together

• Communicating and influencing

Strengths

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

Valuing our people:

• Competitive salary

• Generous pension scheme

• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus

• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location

• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)

• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack

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 and theCivil Service D&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.

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 ourcandidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use

Selection Process

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk

Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.

#GCAIND

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Complaints Procedure

Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found athttps://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk

Internal candidates should apply using theirWorkday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.