Committee Support Apprentice

The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system. Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day-to-day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:

• 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year).
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Access to training and development.
• Flexible working.
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.

This role will sit in the Select Committee Team and fall under the banner of the 'Speaker's Apprenticeship Academy'. Now in its second year, the 'Speaker's Apprenticeship Academy' aims to work to widen the House Service talent pool by providing additional support to early career starters. Apprentices will have the unique opportunity to learn and develop their skills in the UK Parliament, the home of British democracy.

We're not looking for politics experts; we want to hear from candidates who might not have previously considered the House of Commons as a workplace option, and who are early in their careers and not in full-time education. You will need to be 18 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start the apprenticeship. If you're looking for an apprenticeship in an exciting workplace where no two days are the same, this could be the role for you.

Select Committees are cross-party committees of MPs who examine government policy and spending. The Select Committee Team comprises the staff of most select committees, the Scrutiny Unit, and the Media and Communications Service. It provides support and advice for all aspects of the work of select committees.

The Committee Support Apprentice provides administrative support to the Committee(s) for which they work. They support the work of the Committee(s) across all its functions, which could include monitoring correspondence received by the Committee, preparing papers, and formatting evidence for publication on the Committee's website. They work closely with the Committee team (including the Media team and Committee Online Services). They will also interact regularly with the Committee Chair and members of the Committee and their staff and have contact with members of the public and policy stakeholders. You may also work in a cross-committee role, supporting the work of multiple teams.

You are not expected to be able to do everything from day one. You will be well supported and mentored and have access to training in all elements of committee work. As part of this role, you will undertake a Business Administration Apprenticeship at Level 3, which is the academic equivalent of two A-levels. You will be enrolled onto the apprenticeship shortly after you join, and it will typically take 18 months to complete. Please note that learners aged 18 must pass Level 2 Functional Skills exams in English and Maths to complete their apprenticeship if they do not already have a grade C/4 or above in these subjects. You will complete training for 20% of your time, including from an apprenticeship training provider.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• To provide administrative support for Committee meetings, by helping to prepare the room and to greet witnesses and members of the public;
• To assist in managing the Committee email inbox: logging emails, sending out template responses where applicable, referring emails to other Committee staff;
• To help with preparing and circulating papers for the Committee and minutes of the Committee's meetings.

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Good written and oral communication skills, with the ability to express information in a clear manner with good attention to detail.
• Ability to work inclusively and flexibly within a team, recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion, positively accepts constructive feedback and acts on advice given.
• Ability to plan and prioritise own workload to achieve deadlines and knows when to seek support.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office suite, including Word and Outlook. Has the capability to learn new IT skills, including internal systems.

Please note, as this role is an apprenticeship, there is no requirement to have a degree qualification. If you have a degree in an unrelated subject to apprenticeship qualification then you are eligible to apply. If you have a degree or a qualification in a similar subject to the apprenticeship, please contact the Apprenticeships Team as you may be ineligible to apply. Learners aged 18 must pass Level 2 Functional Skills exams in English and Maths to complete their apprenticeship if they do not already have a grade C/4 or above in these subjects.

Next Steps and Additional Information: If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 2-5 in the Job Description. More information on the application process can be found on the UK Parliament website.

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances. We may close the vacancy prior to the closing date stated due to a high volume of applications.

There will be an information session for this role on Thursday 10th July at 2pm via MS Teams. If you would like to attend, please sign up via Eventbrite.