About the job

Job summary

Kick start your career by joining the Department for Transport as a Policy Officer Apprentice!

Apprenticeship: Level 4 Policy Officer Apprenticeship

Locations: Birmingham & Leeds

Salary: National - £32,603

Would you like the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification whilst undertaking an exciting and stretching role, so you can earn whilst you learn?

Do you have the drive and ambition to apply that learning in a real business context so you can continue to develop and work towards your career goals?

If so, a Policy Officer apprenticeship is for you! This apprenticeship will provide you with effective drafting skills to allow you to support Parliamentary business, brief Ministers and undertake analysis to think creatively and deliver policy solutions.

If successful you will be part of an apprentice community which will provide you with the opportunity to support, network and share knowledge and experiences as a cohort, as you embark on your apprenticeship journey together.

The Department for Transport is a vibrant and multidimensional organisation at the very heart of key infrastructure projects including HS2, Crossrail, Thameslink and technological advances such as driver-less cars and drones. Transport keeps Britain on the move whether that be the daily commute to work or supplying businesses up and down the country, without it, business sectors cannot function efficiently.

Job description

The Department for Transport is made up of the central Department (DfTc) and four Executive Agencies – the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA); the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA); the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA); and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). We work with our agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and good travelling around the country, keeping the UK on the move. 

DfT is working on some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects this country has ever seen. Our policies do and will continue to affect the shape, prosperity and connectivity of British citizens, companies and industries.     

This role sits within the Shareholding, Appointments, and Inquiry (SAI) response Directorate. It is responsible for working with DfT’s portfolio of Government Owned Companies and public corporations; building capability and excellence in shareholding, sponsorship, and public appointments across the Department; and coordinating the DfT response to the COVID-19 Inquiry.

To do all of this, and continuously build and improve on our achievements, we need policy professionals who are looking for exciting and challenging roles. As a Policy apprentice at DfT, you will be making a direct contribution to the ways people and goods can get to where they need to go. If you would like to develop policy, provide high-quality advice and guidance on important issues whilst developing your career in the policy profession, this apprenticeship at DfT is for you!

The Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is an exciting opportunity to ‘earn whilst you learn’ by combining theoretical learning with practical ‘on-the-job’ experience; allowing you to work towards a nationally recognised qualification, whilst building skills in your daily role and earning a salary. An apprenticeship also allows you to secure a qualification with no tuition / student fees as the programme is fully funded by the department.

You will spend 6 hours of your contracted working hours per week dedicated to your apprenticeship and will be surrounded by a supportive network. You will be allocated an apprentice buddy, a mentor and will have regular development conversations with a dedicated learning coach and the DfT Apprenticeship Team to ensure your learning needs are met and you are on track to successfully complete your apprenticeship.

The apprenticeship will provide you with new skills to apply to your job role, ensuring you are continuously learning, in a stretching but supportive environment.

Further information on the Policy Officer Apprenticeship is available here.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Supporting the business by drafting written policy advice and recommendations to Ministerial briefings, Parliamentary business, freedom of information requests and correspondence.
• Supporting in delivery of the strategic overview of policy matters impacting the policy area you are working within.
• Gathering information, including engaging Arm’s lengths Bodies, and bringing it together to support policy decision-making or to provide oral and written briefing / correspondence.
• Developing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal, external and across-Government stakeholders to support the development of policy.
• Providing general policy support across the team including working with a range of stakeholders to contribute to the development and introduction of new policies.

 For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you:

We would love to hear from you if you are:

• Able to produce written work to a high-standard and to tight deadlines, drawing out key evidence to inform decision making.
• An effective communicator who can deliver key messages in a way which reflects the needs of different audiences.
• Adaptable, flexible and thrive on managing a varied workload.
• Highly organised with good time management skills.
• Confident in using Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Interested in policy development and keen to learn more about delivering policy solutions.
• Passionate about personal development and are committed to working towards completion of a Level 4 Policy Officer Apprenticeship.

Additional Information:

A minimum of 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. 

Occasional travel to other DfT offices may be required. Travel to other DfT offices will be subsidised by the department.

To be eligible for this programme, you will need to:

• Be at least 16-years old.
• Have the right to work in the UK.
• Have been a resident in the UK/EA/EEA continuously for 3-years before starting the apprenticeship.
• Have left full-time education when the apprenticeship starts.
• Not be in receipt of funding for other learning programmes (including another apprenticeship)
• You do not need any existing qualifications to apply for this role. Please note that possession of certain qualifications may impact your eligibility for this opportunity – please see additional note below for further information on this.

Individuals who hold or who are working towards a similar qualification of the same level or higher i.e. Policy Officer Apprentice Level 4 will also not be eligible to apply. Candidates who possess unrelated qualifications will be considered. In order to be eligible for the apprenticeship, any qualifications previously held or currently being worked towards must differ in content so that this apprenticeship provides substantial new skills. If you apply and are found to possess any of the above, your application will not be considered and any offer of employment will be withdrawn and your contract terminated. If you are unsure on whether you will be eligible for this apprenticeship, please do contact the recruitment manager outlined on this job advert for advice.

As part of your apprenticeship you will need to achieve qualifications in Maths and English (if you do not already have them) but you do not need to hold these qualifications to apply for this role. These are known as Functional Skills and are the ‘industry transferable skills’ equivalent to holding the relevant GCSE levels. If you have completed these qualifications before, you’ll be exempt so long as they meet the necessary requirements. If you don’t have the required level, you will be supported to achieve these during your apprenticeship.

Qualifications

By confirming 'yes' you are confirming that you do not hold a qualification of the same level or higher than the role you are applying for. (Policy Officer Apprentice Level 4)

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Who can start an apprenticeship

To start an apprenticeship, you’ll need to be:

• 16 or over
• living in England
• not in full-time education

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school but you’ll need to be 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start the apprenticeship. Please note if successful you must be 16 or over to undergo the relevant security checks.

How to apply

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• The Department for Transport’s core values are Confidence, Excellence and Teamwork; How would you define these values and what do they mean to you? (please give examples)
• Give an example of when you have worked to a deadline.
• Why you believe an apprenticeship is the chosen career path for you.

Please use experiences from either work, your personal life or in an educational setting.

Please fully utilise the 750-word count when completing your personal statement.

We highly recommend you view Georgia, an Apprenticeship Lead at Department for Transport’s video below which will give you tips and advice on how to complete your Personal Statement -

Please see the following link for guidance on CV and Personal Statement information: 
CV and Personal Statement Guidance

The sift is due to take place week commencing 8th January 2024.

If successful at the sift stage you will be invited to take part in a written policy exercise, this is likely to take place 30th January, followed by an interview likely to be held 1st and 2nd February 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include: 

• a written policy exercise and an interview 

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.  

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. 

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website. 

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.