Customer Service Apprentice

Overview

The Customer Service team offers a fantastic early career pathway for an Apprentice. This is a permanent role that offers the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a Customer Services Representative. The apprenticeship includes a competitive salary along with a comprehensive rewards and benefits package.

Hours: The first six months of this apprenticeship, you\’ll be based at our CWAC Contact Centre in Winsford, Monday to Friday. After this period, hybrid working may be introduced. Flexible approach to working arrangements, including shift work between 8am and 8pm, and weekend working. 37 hours a week. This role starts on Monday 1 December 2025 and lasts for 1 year.

What you’ll do at work

The Customer Service Apprentice is a key role within the Council’s customer team which resides in the companies, compliance and assurance service part of the wider governance directorate. This apprentice role offers the opportunity to develop valuable experience of working within a busy customer environment and the apprentice will acquire the skills and knowledge to become a customer services representative. This apprenticeship will have a line manager, workplace mentor, inclusive employment manager and a dedicated apprentice programme tutor. On successful completion of the Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship Standard, and review of performance, the post holder will progress to the substantive post of Customer Services Representative. This role is “Hybrid”; workers spend the majority of their time on site or in client visits and may also work from home on an occasional or more frequent basis. Many services and customers span across the Borough, and therefore you may be required to work at any location in Cheshire West and Chester. The Level 2 Apprenticeship qualification has a flexible delivery learning model, online via Microsoft Teams, combined with face-to-face learning and observations in the workplace.

Not withstanding the details in this Job Role Profile, the job holder will undertake such work as may be determined by the Manager from time to time, up to or at a level consistent with the Principal Responsibilities of the job.

Responsibilities

• Provide information, advice and services to residents on behalf of Cheshire West & Chester Council.
• To efficiently and effectively use information technology, including a Customer Relationship Management system, MS Office applications, call centre technology and the internet, as well as shape its development in order to record and maintain an electronic record of customer details and their service requests.
• Provide information and advice on services of the council, external agencies and organisations.
• Take responsibility for resolving queries or completing action arising from customer enquiries to act as an advocate on behalf of the customer.
• To work as part of the Customer Services Team to provide a cohesive service to the customer.

Where you’ll work

The first six months of this apprenticeship, you’ll be based at our CWAC Contact Centre in Winsford, Monday to Friday. After this period, hybrid working may be introduced. Are you able to reliably commute to this location during that time? Click job link for more information.

Training

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

• 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.

Cheshire College South & West will be the designated training provider for this apprenticeship qualification. Training will be delivered remotely via Microsoft Teams, complemented by on-site visits as needed.

Requirements

GCSE in:

• Maths (grade 9-4 C-A*)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Customer care skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental

Other requirements

Apply and review the application via apprentice Job Role Profile and job application for more details.

About this employer

Play your part towards a stronger future at Cheshire West and Chester Council. We believe a stronger future where we all play our part in thriving, caring and sustainable communities. Grow your career, make a difference at Cheshire West and Chester Council. We pride ourselves and doing things differently. Our Council provides vital services which touch all aspects of people’s lives every day. We are driven by doing things differently, working on a wide variety of exciting change programmes to tackle challenges across our borough. With almost 3,500 employees, we are responsible for well known services such as museums, libraries, environment operations, transport and highways, social care, schools, housing, planning and waste collection, but there is much more to what we do such as supporting businesses, registering births, and marriages, pest control, supporting careers in finance, legal, data and more!

You’ll have up to 31 days annual leave each year. Even more flexibility is offered with the option to purchase more annual leave. Great discounts at a variety of retail and leisure outlets for shopping, travel, holidays and cinema tickets.

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

You have a permanent contract of employment and on successful completion of the Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship Standard, and review of performance, the post holder will progress to the substantive post of Customer Services Representative.

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CHESHIRE COLLEGE SOUTH AND WEST

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000346257.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Sunday 2 November 2025)

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