Future Talent Specialist

Canal & River Trust; Lancashire; Remote; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £35,000

Pension scheme

Increased holiday entitlement

Employee benefits

Job summary

Canal & River Trust is seeking a Future Talent Specialist to lead apprenticeship and early careers programmes, including graduates and student placements, ensuring inclusive attraction and a positive learner experience.

You will collaborate with senior leaders, training providers and external partners to ensure compliant, well‑managed programmes that deliver real value for learners and the organisation.

Qualifications

• Significant experience delivering or supporting apprenticeship and/or graduate programmes.
• Strong understanding of the Apprenticeship Levy, funding rules and compliance.
• Experience end-to-end recruitment processes.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building capability.
• Experience mentoring or pastoral support, with safeguarding awareness.
• Strong IT, data and reporting skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Trust’s in‑house expert on apprenticeships, providing specialist advice on levy funding, compliance and best practice.
• Deliver end‑to‑end recruitment for apprentices, graduates and student placements, ensuring inclusive, high‑quality attraction, selection and onboarding.
• Manage and coordinate apprenticeship, graduate and placement programmes, ensuring a positive learner experience and strong retention.
• Administer and manage the Apprenticeship Levy, including forecasting, spend monitoring and maximising utilisation.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with training providers, awarding bodies and external partners.
• Provide ongoing support and guidance to apprentices, graduates and line managers throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Produce management information and insights on future talent activity, outcomes, diversity data and levy performance.
• Display the Trust’s values and behaviours at all times, ensuring diversity and inclusion are embedded in everything we do.

Skills

Apprenticeships

Graduate programmes

Stakeholder management

Recruitment

Data reporting

Tools

HRIS

ATS systems

Job description

Join Our Team: Future Talent Specialist Opportunity

We’re excited to welcome a new Future Talent Specialist to join our People & Talent team and play a key role in shaping the next generation of colleagues at the Canal & River Trust.

You’ll lead the delivery and continuous improvement of our future talent programmes – including apprenticeships, graduate schemes and student placements – ensuring high‑quality attraction, inclusive recruitment and a supportive learner experience.

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

Working Hours & Location

This role follows a 37‑hour, Monday–Friday working pattern, with flexible working options available.

The role is primarily home‑based, with occasional travel to Trust locations and meetings as required.

Role Overview

In this engaging and influential role, you’ll act as the Trust’s in‑house expert on apprenticeships and early careers. You’ll work closely with colleagues across the Trust, senior leaders, line managers, training providers and external partners to ensure our future talent programmes are compliant, well‑managed and deliver real value for both learners and the organisation.

You’ll bring structure, insight and energy to programme delivery, while ensuring our approach reflects our commitment to inclusion, safeguarding and developing talent for the future.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the Trust’s in‑house expert on apprenticeships, providing specialist advice on levy funding, compliance and best practice
• Deliver end‑to‑end recruitment for apprentices, graduates and student placements, ensuring inclusive, high‑quality attraction, selection and onboarding
• Manage and coordinate apprenticeship, graduate and placement programmes, ensuring a positive learner experience and strong retention
• Administer and manage the Apprenticeship Levy (circa £650,000), including forecasting, spend monitoring and maximising utilisation
• Build and maintain effective relationships with training providers, awarding bodies and external partners
• Provide ongoing support and guidance to apprentices, graduates and line managers throughout the programme lifecycle
• Produce management information and insights on future talent activity, outcomes, diversity data and levy performance
• Display the Trust’s values and behaviours at all times, ensuring diversity and inclusion are embedded in everything we do

About You

You’ll bring experience of delivering or supporting apprenticeship and/or graduate programmes, alongside a strong understanding of early careers best practice. You’re organised, collaborative and confident working with a wide range of stakeholders, with a passion for supporting learners to succeed.

You’re detail‑focused, comfortable managing competing priorities, and motivated by delivering programmes that make a long‑term difference to people and the organisation.

Skills & Qualifications

• Significant experience delivering or supporting apprenticeship and/or graduate programmes
• Strong understanding of the Apprenticeship Levy, funding rules and compliance requirements
• Experience of end‑to‑end recruitment processes
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship‑building capability
• Experience providing mentoring or pastoral support, with awareness of safeguarding responsibilities
• Strong IT, data and reporting skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment

Contact & Application

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [e-mail].

What We Offer

We offer a salary of £35,000 with opportunities for progression. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits.

For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here:EVP - 1.

Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits

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