Applications Support Apprentice

Thurra Limited; Borough of Rossendale; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering inspection service in the UK is seeking an Application Support Apprentice to assist with a new digital platform implementation. The role involves supporting project delivery, user acceptance testing, and ongoing application support within a collaborative team. Ideal candidates will have a strong interest in IT and good communication skills. This apprenticeship offers excellent training opportunities and personal development.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

31 Days Holiday, rising to 36

Enhanced Employer Contributions for Pension

Life Insurance (x4 salary)

Gym Membership

Cycle to Work Scheme

Employee Loan Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Qualifications

• Genuine interest in IT and digital applications.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and methodical approach.

Responsibilities

• Support workshops and requirements-gathering sessions.
• Draft and maintain test scripts and UAT scenarios.
• Produce user-friendly training materials.
• Act as a first point of contact for user questions.
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues.

Skills

Interest in IT and digital applications

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Problem-solving skills

Education

Apprenticeship qualification in Digital Applications

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Established for more than 30 years, Thurra is an independent engineering inspection specialist delivering a professional, trouble free, responsive and competitive service from highly qualified and experienced engineers.

We inspect all types of plant and equipment including lifts, lifting equipment, pressure systems, power presses, press brakes and local exhaust ventilation.

From our Head Office at our purpose built, state of the art facility in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, Thurra serves many parts of the UK via our extensive network of engineers.

Our Engineer Surveyors are responsible for carrying out engineering inspections, meeting the statutory examination and contractual inspection obligations of our clients’ plant and equipment.

Typical examinations include equipment defined in LOLER 98, PSSR 2000, PUWER as well as its application to power presses and LEV equipment defined in COSHH.

BENEFITS

• Competitive Salary
• 31 Days Holiday, rising to 36
• Company Pension – Enhanced Employer Contributions
• Life Insurance (x4 your salary)
• Gym Membership
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Loan Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

POSITION SUMMARY

Thurra is implementing a new digital platform. The Application Support Apprentice will play a key role in supporting the delivery, testing, rollout and ongoing operation of this platform.

Working closely with the IT team, our implementation partner and business users (such as inspectors and operations staff), the apprentice will help ensure the application is stable, well‑documented, user‑friendly and continuously improved. This is a hands‑on role, ideal for someone who wants to start a career in application support, low‑code development and digital transformation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Project Delivery & Configuration (Platform)

• Support workshops and requirements‑gathering sessions; record notes, actions and decisions
• Maintain clear, simple documentation for:
• Business processes and user journeys
• Data and field mappings
• Application configuration
• Creating / updating forms and pages
• Setting up validation rules and labels
• Maintaining reference data / picklists
• Help prepare and maintain test data and support management of test environments

2. Testing & User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

• Draft and maintain test scripts and UAT scenarios based on real business processes
• Coordinate UAT activities:
• Scheduling sessions
• Ensuring users have correct access
• Providing basic guidance on how to test
• Log and track defects, queries and change requests in the agreed tool (e.g. Jira)
• Reproduce issues and capture clear steps, screenshots and supporting information for the development team
• Support retesting of fixes and regression testing before deployment

3. Training, Go‑Live & User Adoption

• Help produce user‑friendly training materials, such as:
• Quick start guides and step‑by‑step instructions
• Screenshots and simple process diagrams
• FAQs and “how to” tips
• Support and occasionally deliver small group and 1:1 training sessions for business users
• Provide on‑the‑ground assistance during go‑live and early life support, acting as a “super user” for the platform
• Capture user feedback and enhancement ideas and add them to the change backlog

4. Ongoing Application Support & Change Management

• Act as a first point of contact for user questions and issues relating to the application
• Provide 1st line support, resolving straightforward issues where possible and escalating more complex problems to IT or the external partner
• Maintain a structured change and enhancement backlog, ensuring items are clearly described, prioritised and updated
• Assist with planning and executing testing for new features and releases
• Help prepare and publish release notes and user communications
• Keep documentation, training materials and FAQs up to date as the application evolves

5. Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Build effective working relationships with:
• IT colleagues and the implementation partner
• Engineers, operations teams and other key business users
• Contribute ideas to improve user experience, performance and process efficiency within the platform
• Support light reporting and data tasks (e.g. producing basic reports, checking data quality) where required

Apprenticeship & Development

• Work towards a recognised apprenticeship qualification in [e.g. Digital & Technology Solutions, Application Support, Software / Low‑code Development]
• Complete all apprenticeship training, assignments and assessments within agreed timescales
• Undertake internal training and other internal training as agreed with the line manager
• Application lifecycle management
• IT service management and support best practices

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Genuine interest in IT, digital applications
• Good verbal and written communication skills; able to interact confidently with non‑technical users
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to work
• Logical thinker with good problem‑solving skills
• Organised and able to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and follow‑ups
• Comfortable using Microsoft 365 tools (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Willingness to learn and to receive coaching and feedback

Desirable

• Basic coding / scripting (e.g. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, Python)
• Experience in a customer‑facing, service desk or support role (paid, voluntary or educational)
• Interest in data, analytics or reporting tools (e.g. Excel, Power BI)
• Basic understanding of how business processes can be improved using digital tools

Armed Forces Covenant: We are proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and are committed to supporting the Armed Forces community. We welcome applications from veterans, reservists, and military spouses, and value the skills and experience they bring to our team.