Business Administrator Apprentice - Level 2

Overview

The Opportunity:  

Are you looking to start your career in business administration? We're seeking a motivated and enthusiastic apprentice to join our Corporate Business Support Team supporting Children's Services.

As a Level 2 Business Administrator Apprentice, you'll learn whilst you earn, gaining practical experience in a busy and supportive team while working towards a recognised qualification. You'll develop valuable skills in administration, communication, organisation and customer service, supported every step of the way by experienced colleagues.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain real workplace experience, make a positive contribution to local services and build a strong foundation for your future career.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Our apprenticeships are designed to give you the hands-on experience needed in a real job that brings out the best in you, with real responsibilities, real challenges, real projects and scope to grow your career.

Click here for an insight on what it’s like to be an apprentice with us.

Corporate Business Support provides professional administrative support to services across Buckinghamshire Council. You'll be joining a friendly and supportive team with experience of mentoring apprentices and trainees and helping them develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workplace.

About the role

In this role, you'll contribute to providing business administration support for Children's Services while working towards a Level 2 Business Administrator Apprenticeship.

You'll join our Corporate Business Support team and gain practical experience supporting a busy administrative service that helps deliver essential services across Buckinghamshire Council.  We will provide training, mentoring and dedicated study time during your working week to help you develop your skills and achieve your qualification, meaning no evening or weekend study is required.

You will work towards being able to undertake the range of duties listed below:

• Provide general administrative and clerical support.
• Respond to customer and colleague enquiries by telephone, email and Microsoft Teams.
• Process, input, maintain and retrieve information from council systems and databases.
• Produce documents, reports and correspondence.
• Support meetings, including preparing paperwork and taking minutes.
• Order stationery and office supplies.
• Support managers and colleagues with a variety of administrative tasks.
• Develop an understanding of council policies, procedures and business processes.
• Deliver excellent customer service to internal and external customers.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

Skills required:

• Able to organise and prioritise your own workload to meet deadlines.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Basic IT skills and confidence using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Outlook and Teams.
• Willingness and ability to learn new systems and processes.
• Good attention to detail and accuracy when completing tasks.
• Able to maintain confidentiality and handle information appropriately.
• Good customer service skills and a professional approach when dealing with colleagues and customers.
• Able to work effectively as part of a team.
• Good standard of written work with accurate spelling and grammar.
• Able to follow instructions while developing confidence to use your own initiative.

Personal Qualities:

• Enthusiastic and eager to learn new skills.
• Friendly, approachable and professional.
• Reliable, punctual and dependable.
• Positive attitude towards work and learning.
• Comfortable working as part of a team and contributing to team goals.
• Able to build positive working relationships with a range of people.
• Flexible and willing to undertake a variety of tasks.
• Motivated to develop a career in business administration.
• Takes pride in producing high-quality work.
• Willing to accept feedback and learn from experience.

Eligibility Criteria:

For Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship - Qualified to Level 1 or above in Literacy and Numeracy (GCSE grades A*-G/9-1 or equivalent).

Please note: You will not be eligible for this post if you have a degree in the same subject as this apprenticeship, or other qualifications in the same subject at an equivalent level. 

Other information

• Location: Walton Street Offices, Aylesbury and Queen Victoria Road Offices, High Wycombe.
  Advert closing date: Wednesday 23^rd September 2026
• Possible Starting date: Mid-October 2026

Duration of Apprenticeship:

Our apprenticeship roles are on a fixed term contract for the duration of the apprenticeship. Level 2 is usually for about 15 months.

• Salary
  Your initial apprentice salary will be £15,392 p.a for your first year and will go up to National Minimum Wage if you are 19+ when you start the 2nd year of your apprenticeship. All your training will be funded by us.

As well as the salary, our apprentices are eligible to:

• Paid holiday package
• Join our generous Pension scheme;
• Get 50% off Arriva bus travel
• Receive a range of restaurant, shop & gym discounts through our Employee Benefits scheme.
• Apply for a TOTEM Card (formerly called the NUS Extra card)
• Pre-employment Checks: Appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including a Basic DBS check.

Reality Check:

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Apprentices will be expected to attend the office regularly, particularly during induction and training. Any hybrid working arrangements will be subject to business need and manager approval.

The ability to converse with ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (Code of Practice: English language requirements for public sector workers 2016)

Some travel will be necessary, and expenses will be provided for this.

Contact: Steven Belfrage or Martyn Greenstreet

Future Prospects

This apprenticeship provides an excellent foundation for a career in business administration, customer service and local government. On successful completion, you'll have gained valuable workplace experience, a recognised qualification and transferable skills that can support future opportunities across a wide range of administrative and business support roles.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Resources cover a wide range of specialisms, including Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Business Operations. Our main focus is supporting the other directorates to provide the best possible service to our residents. To do that, we have to make sure we have the right people in the right roles across the organisation. From our finance teams, working strategically to ensure the best value from public money; to HR keeping our employees healthy and happy, each service is vital in making sure Buckinghamshire Council has what it needs to run effectively and efficiently.

As well as providing high quality services to other areas of the Council, you could also be helping us build on the revenue which comes from our external clients. If you are ambitious, customer-focussed and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/