Health and Benefits Professional Excellence Apprenticeship 2026

Howden Group Holdings; City Of London; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance collective is offering a one-year apprenticeship for a Professional Excellence Apprentice in London. This role includes creating training guides, managing complaints, and contributing to team support. Ideal candidates are final year students or recent leavers with GCSE English and Maths. Training is provided, making it a great entry point into a career in insurance.

Benefits

Attractive employee benefits

Support for education and qualification

Qualifications

• Final year sixth form/college students or recent college leavers.
• No prior insurance experience required; training provided.
• Diligent individuals who can manage their workload effectively.

Responsibilities

• Create high quality training guides for new starters.
• Support with organizing technical training sessions.
• Manage complaints and provide excellent customer service.

Skills

Critical thinking

Customer service

Analytical skills

Team collaboration

Organizational skills

Education

GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or 4

Job description

Overview

Who are we? Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Location: London

Start date: September 2026

Salary: £23,000

Closing date: 21 November 2025

About Howden Retail

Our Retail division is spread across the UK and Ireland and focuses on small-medium size enterprises (SMEs), individual clients and private high-net-worth clients, providing them with tailored insurance solutions that meet their unique needs. Whatever the question, the concern, or the risk, we can get the right experts in a room and find the right answer.

Health and Benefits

Our Health and Benefits team are responsible for providing attractive employee benefits plans (known as group risk policies) for our employer clients including perks like private medical and health insurance. To run effectively, we have Professional Excellence colleagues who are responsible for improving how our team work s and ensuring high standards are maintained.

If you are curious about insurance but more interested in how teams are supported to operate at their best and how problems are solved behind the scenes, this could be a perfect first step in your career.

What is the role?

This is a one-year apprenticeship programme where you will begin your career as a Professional Excellence Apprentice. You will learn how to support our team by creating high quality training guides, resolving admin queries for brokers and managing complaints – helping our team perform at an exceptional level on a daily basis.

You will be part of a friendly and supportive team who will guide you every step of the way. One day a week will be dedicated to studying towards a Level 3 qualification, all while earning a salary and gaining valuable real-world experience.

What you’ll do?

• You will gain a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification for your relevant programme. As part of this, you’ll spend one day a week studying with your dedicated trainer, who will support you every step of the way to ensure you're set up for success.


• Take part in a year long structured development programme designed to help you build the skills and confidence needed to thrive in your role. All of our apprentices take part in this programme, so you’ll have a group of peers to learn alongside.


• Get involved with creating high quality training guides for new starters, bringing Howden and Health and Benefits products and services to life.


• Support with organising technical training sessions to ensure the team have the most up to date knowledge on our latest products.


• Collaborate with brokers to help them solve problems with administrative errors or breaches.


• Use your excellent customer service skills to manage complaints and provide a good overall experience.

What are we looking for?

No experience in insurance is required; we’ll teach you everything you need to know!

• Final year sixth form/college students or recent college leavers.


• GCSE English and Maths at Grade C or 4.


• Critical thinkers who thrive on solving problems.


• Intellectually curious individuals who aren’t afraid to ask questions.


• Analytical individuals who are comfortable working with data.


• Organised and diligent individuals who are confident managing their workload.


• Collaborative team players who are willing to get stuck into tasks and support others.


• Comfortable presenting to small groups during training sessions.

Application process

Our application process is designed to help you show your potential, not to test what you already know!

• Online application form – no CV required: We believe you're more than just a document, so we won’t ask you to submit a CV. Please upload a blank document on the application form.


• Online gamified assessment: These games will help us understand your natural strengths and how you approach different situations. There are no right or wrong answers. You can complete this stage on your phone or laptop, whichever suits you best!


• Pre-recorded video interview: You will record your answers to a few questions using your phone or laptop, giving you the chance to tell us more about yourself in your own time in a relaxed setting.


• Assessment centre: Our final stage is an in-person assessment day at one of our offices close to you. You\'ll take part in some fun group activities and meet our team in a relaxed setting. This day is all about getting to know you better and for you to see what it\'s like to be part of Howden and experience our culture. We\'ll cover all your travel costs for this day!

At Howden, we are committed to developing and maintaining a culture of equality and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Be sure to follow your Early Careers team on TikTok @earlycareersjo and @millieinsurancecareers. We’re here to guide you through every step of the process! From exploring the roles on offer and understanding our assessments, to tips on how to ace your video interview - we have got you covered! You will also get behind-the-scenes insights into our assessment days: including how to prepare, what to wear, and what to expect. Think of us as your career coaches, right by your side from start to finish.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new


• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges


• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We\'re committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working.

If you\'re excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.