Data Engineer Apprentice

City of Portsmouth College; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25 days

Local government pension

Staff development

Onsite discounts

Online discounts

Free parking

Blue Light Card

Job summary

City of Portsmouth College is offering an apprenticeship opportunity as a Data Engineer Apprentice (Level 5) based at the Highbury Campus. The role provides hands-on experience in the MIS department, supporting funding returns, performance reporting and regulatory compliance, while working toward a recognised Data Engineer apprenticeship qualification.

You will join a busy data team, learning core skills to protect digital systems and information, and collaborating with experienced professionals

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English at grade 4/C or higher, or working towards Functional Skills
• Interest in data, numbers and problem-solving with good attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Confidence using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
• Willingness to learn sector-specific systems and terminology
• Proactive, organized approach and ability to manage multiple tasks
• No prior FE experience required – full training and support provided

Responsibilities

• Help build and maintain dashboards and reports covering attendance, retention, achievement and destinations
• Assist with preparation of performance summaries and RAG-status reporting for internal meetings
• Support colleagues in preparing evidence and management information for external reviews, audits and inspections
• Help monitor data quality and flag discrepancies for correction
• Learn how funding and compliance frameworks apply to day-to-day data work
• Provide general administrative support to the wider team as required
• Analyse data using SQL queries and spreadsheets to produce supporting datasets
• Cover other duties relevant to the area including admissions and open evenings, with occasional evening duties

Skills

Interest in data

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Excel

Organized

Willingness to learn

Problem-solving

Education

GCSE Maths and English (Grade 4/C or higher)

Tools

SQL

Excel

Power BI

MS Office

Job description

Job Title: Data Engineer Apprentice (Level 5)

Location: Highbury Campus

Salary: £25,410.97 - £27,839.68 Full Time Equivalent per annum

Hours of work: 37 Hours per week, 52 Weeks per year, fixed-term, Apprenticeship, October 2026 start

About us

At City of Portsmouth College, we aspire to be the employer of choice in the Portsmouth area, with a progressive, supportive, and rewarding workplace culture and one that offers competitive benefits for its staff. By joining us, you will personally be part of the change we are driving and will play a pivotal role in supporting the growth and development of our brilliant students, turning them into future leaders and innovators. Everyone at the College is part of the bigger picture and together, each role makes an impact and in turn a difference to our students learning journey.

We have an unrivalled curriculum of courses on offer for students of all ages and stages covering A-levels, Apprenticeships, Vocational & Technical courses. We also offer Higher Education, Online learning and Community courses that appeal to the needs of the local community.

What we offer

• Annual Leave: 25 days total and closure for winter shutdown period in line with Hampshire County Council school holidays & statutory bank holidays
• Pension: Generous Local Government pension. Further information can be found at www.hants.gov.uk/hampshire-services/pensions/local-government
• Learning & Development: Programmes by The Community Adult Education Department
• Staff Development: Access to the College staff development programmes and CPD
• Onsite Discounts: City of Portsmouth College Hair Salon & 50% off at the City of Portsmouth College Sports Centre
• Online Discounts: Unidays, Student Beans, and Totum with a City of Portsmouth College email address
• Parking: Free car parking across all campus sites (apart from Arundel)
• Blue Light Card: providing several discounts for clothing, electrical goods, food and days out, even concert tickets!

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and detail-focused Apprentice Data Engineer to join our data, compliance and systems development team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone starting a career in data analysis to gain hands-on experience within the further education sector, working alongside colleagues who manage funding returns, performance reporting and regulatory compliance.

You will work towards a recognised Data Engineer apprenticeship qualification while contributing to real projects that support the college's decision-making, funding accuracy and quality improvement.

This apprenticeship offers hands on experience in the MIS department in a bustling FE College, supporting the development of core skills needed to protect digital systems and information. You will work closely with experienced professionals, gaining real world exposure.

Key Responsibilities

• Helping to build and maintain dashboards and reports covering areas such as attendance, retention, achievement and destinations
• Assisting with the preparation of performance summaries and RAG-status reporting for internal meetings and governance purposes
• Supporting colleagues in preparing evidence and management information for external reviews, audits and inspections
• Helping to monitor data quality and flagging discrepancies for correction
• Learning how funding and compliance frameworks (such as DfE requirements and Qualification Achievement Rates) apply to day-to-day data work
• Providing general administrative support to the wider team as required
• To analyse data using SQL queries, spreadsheets, relational databases and other tools to produce a range of supporting datasets to aid the teams when capturing and correcting student data.
• To act as a member of the Information Services Team and to cover other duties relevant to the area including admissions, and open evenings in relation to giving potential students advice and guidance. In addition, there is a requirement to work evening duties which are usually one per fortnight/one per week, depending upon the time of year.
• To process enrolments and payments and associated paperwork, when required.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant financial and College policies and procedures must be maintained.
• To liaise with staff across the college in ensuring the accuracy of the ILR data.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the requirements of the post.

To be successful in this role, below is what we would need from you:

• GCSE grade 4/C or above in Maths and English (or willingness to work towards Functional Skills alongside the apprenticeship)
• A genuine interest in data, numbers and problem-solvingGood attention to detail and a methodical approach to work
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Confidence using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
• Willingness to learn sector-specific systems and terminology
• A proactive, organised approach and the ability to manage multiple tasks
• No prior experience in further education is required - full training and support will be provided

Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are central to the work of City of Portsmouth College. This underpins the vision of the College to transform lives through providing exceptional education and training.

The College's commitment to Equality, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is reflected in the continued successful promotion of these strands through the curriculum, enrichment activities, and the range of direct and indirect student support services.

Pre-Employment Checks

The City of Portsmouth College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in our college. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and two references.

We reserve the right to close the job advert when we have had successful applications, and it may not run for the full duration of the advert. We do not accept CVs from agencies for these roles.