Social Research Apprentice

Overview

IFF is a social and market research agency, we design research to understand more about the issues that are affecting the UK, so that better decisions can be made about what to do, and how to solve problems. We work in different areas, including education, the environment, health and wellbeing, housing, and finance. Many of our clients are Government departments, but we also conduct research for charities, universities, housing providers and businesses like banks. Each research project that we do is very different, so working with us means you will always be learning something new.

Some examples of our research work include:

• Understanding whether disabled people feel their local sports centres are accessible.
• Do people who are coming up to retirement age know how to apply for their pension?
• Do new schemes that help parents engage with their babies work?
• Understanding skills people have within businesses and what ‘skills gaps’ there are in the UK.
• Understanding what it’s like for women to seek support for a gambling addiction and how we can help create better support in future.

Our work covers the whole research process, we design each research project from scratch, then we design questionnaires, interview people, analyse the data and write reports and presentations to explain our findings.

We’re really proud that time and time again we hear that the best thing about working here is our people, they’re some of the most talented, friendly and interesting people in the research industry. We have different ways of thinking and working, but we all have a shared goal of discovering what is going on in the world and making a positive difference.

About the opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to gain a BSc degree in applied Social Research over four years with the University of Kent, while kickstarting your social research career. During the programme, you’ll be part of our research team in London, working on real projects throughout. The end goal is the successful completion of your degree and continuing your career as a researcher within our team.

We’ll ensure you’re developing the core skills needed to become a successful social researcher. As your experience and knowledge grow, so will your responsibilities. You’ll learn technical skills such as survey design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, report writing and statistics, alongside building your abilities in teamwork, communication, time management and problem solving. You’ll also develop an understanding of the research process, the sectors we work in, the work we deliver, our clients, and the processes we follow to produce industry-leading research.

You’ll attend a week-long residential session once a year at the start of each academic year, join live online classes and receive online learning materials that amount to approx. 6 hours per week to complete in paid working time. You’ll also attend a 1-day face-to-face session in London each quarter.

Who are we looking for?

This is an opportunity for someone who’s interested in people, society and social action. As this is a degree-level apprenticeship, you must have the following qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 GCSEs, including Maths and English at grade 4 or above (or equivalent).
• A minimum of 96 UCAS points under the 2017 tariff system (e.g., CCC at A Level or an equivalent qualification, not including General Studies), or be on track to achieve this by August 2026.

Good written and verbal communication skills are important, as is confidence with numbers. You should have strong organisation and time-management skills, as well as good attention to detail. You’ll be managing your own work and studies, so you must be comfortable working independently, while also being able to work flexibly and positively with others. You may have some experience with Microsoft Office, but you should be willing to learn and use new technology and systems as your expertise develops.

You’ll be joining a company that values input from its team, with opportunities to join our committees and take part in our regular social events. We offer 28 days’ holiday (rising by 1 day at 3 and 5 years), plus bank holidays, healthcare options, flexible working, wellbeing support and a range of social activities, alongside other benefits designed to support our whole team.