HR Apprentice

Cambridge; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a friendly HR team as an apprentice at a prestigious college in Cambridge. This role offers hands-on experience in HR administration, support for recruitment, and training opportunities. Ideal for those eager to start a career in HR, with no prior experience required. Enjoy benefits like generous annual leave and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Defined contribution pension scheme

Health care cash plan

Discretionary bonus

Free meal when on duty

Free use of the College gym and outdoor swimming pool

Qualifications

• No prior experience needed; training provided.
• Desire to start a career in HR is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support for HR.
• Support recruitment and learning activities.
• Maintain employee records and assist with onboarding.

Skills

Customer care skills

Initiative

Non judgemental

Education

GCSE in English (grade 4 or C)

GCSE in Maths (grade 4 or C)

Job description

Closes in 25 days (Wednesday 11 June 2025 at 11:59pm)

We are recruiting for a HR apprentice to work as part of a small, friendly HR team, providing general HR administrative support.

- 33 days annual leave (including public holidays)- Defined contribution pension scheme- Health care cash plan funded by the College (allowing you to claim money for routine medical treatments including dental and optical)- Discretionary bonus

Training course HR support (level 3)

Hours Monday to Friday, hours to be agreed.

36 hours 30 minutes a week

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Key Responsibilities

(i) Provide a high level of administrative support including:

• Responding to telephone, email and in-person enquiries and passing the query onto the appropriate College member(s) as necessary.
• Maintaining and updating employee records on the College’s HR/Payroll system including setting up new joiners and processing leavers.
• Providing a ‘helpdesk’ service for the College’s HR/Payroll system including issuing system log on details and resetting passwords.
• Creating and maintaining paper and electronic personnel files in accordance with legislation and best practice.
• Administering and preparing paperwork associated with new starters, contract variations and leavers including drafting letters, contracts, and emails.
• Providing reference letters for former employees.
• Scanning, filing and archiving HR files as appropriate and in accordance with data protection regulations to ensure GDPR compliance.

(ii) Support recruitment activity including:

• Placing advertisements.
• Processing applications and logging equal opportunities forms.
• Benchmarking against recruitment advertisements placed elsewhere.
• Scheduling interviews.
• Completing post-offer tasks such as requesting references, conducting right to work checks, administering DBS checks, issuing health forms (as required), and coordinating employee inductions.

(iii) Support with learning and development activity including:

• Supporting with the organisation of learning and development courses including booking rooms, coordinating with providers and arranging equipment.
• Supporting with the administration of eLearning activities, including assisting with access to courses, and creating and maintaining records on the eLearning system.

(iv) Other:

• Providing and promoting HR service excellence, and fostering excellent teamwork and working relationships.
• Communicating sensitively with a wide range of people including staff, Fellows and students.
• Ordering flowers as required.
• Ordering stationary for the HR department as required.
• Undertaking other ad hoc/project work as directed by the Head of HR.
• Proactively reviewing the HR department’s administrative practices, suggesting and implementing improvements as necessary.
• Acting as minute-taker for the Staff Liaison Meeting and for other meetings, as required.

You don't need any experience as we can teach you everything. If you have a desire to start a career in HR, and are willing to learn, we would love to meet you. Alongside your training, you will take on a full-time role in Christ’s College’s HR team, working alongside and under the direction of the Head of HR.

Where you'll work

ST ANDREW'S STREET
CAMBRIDGE
CB2 3BU

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

• Service Delivery: Delivers excellent customer service on a range of HR queries and requirements, providing solutions, advice and support primarily to managers. Builds managers’ expertise in HR matters, improving their ability to handle repeated situations themselves where appropriate. Uses agreed systems and processes to deliver service to customers. Takes the initiative to meet agreed individual and team KPIs in line with company policy, values, standards. Plans and organises their work, often without direct supervision, to meet commitments and KPIs.
• Problem Solving: Uses sound questioning and active listening skills to understand requirements and establish root causes before developing HR solutions. Takes ownership through to resolution, escalating complex situations as appropriate.
• Communication & Interpersonal: Deals effectively with customers/colleagues, using sound interpersonal skills and communicating well through a range of media eg phone, face to face, email, internet. Adapts their style to their audience. Builds trust and sound relationships with customers. Handles conflict and sensitive HR situations professionally and confidentially.
• Teamwork: Consistently supports colleagues /collaborates within the team and HR to achieve results. Builds/maintains strong working relationships with others in the team and across HR where necessary.
• Process Improvement: Identifies opportunities to improve HR performance and service; acts on them within the authority of their role. Supports implementation of HR changes/projects with the business.
• Managing HR Information: Maintains required HR records as part of services delivered. Prepares reports and management information from HR data, with interpretation as required.
• Personal Development: Keeps up to date with business changes and HR legal/policy/process changes relevant to their role. Seeks feedback and acts on it to improve their performance and overall capability.

Your training plan

20% off the job training (minimum 6 hours per week). Off the job training includes, but is not limited, to attending Cambridge Regional College.

You will attend Cambridge Regional College once a month on a Thursday, c.9.30am-3.30pm between September to December 2025 (3-4 sessions). This sessions will include an induction, and the set-up of the HR course and access to digital learning tools & resources. From January 2026, you will attend Cambridge Regional College every fortnight on a Thursday.

What your apprenticeship includes:

• A mixture of on and off the job training.
• Regular reviews with your mentor and HR Cambridge Regional College Assessor.
• Feedback sessions to discuss your progress.
• A work-based project.

The apprenticeship delivery model will be a blend of day release to Cambridge Regional College/online attendance, e-portfolio resources and regular assessor visits.

Units that will be covered as part of your qualification:

• Business, Culture, and Change in Context
• Principles of Analytics,
• Core Behaviours for People Professionals
• Essentials of People Practice

Requirements

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4 or C)
• Maths (grade 4 or C)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They canadjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Customer care skills
• Initiative
• Non judgemental

Other requirements

If successful, you will be offered a fixed-Term Employment contract with Christ’s College. The contract will be for 24 months.Interviews are expected to take place on or around Tuesday 24 June.

About this company

The University of Cambridge is composed of 31 Colleges in addition to the academic departments and administration of the central University. Cambridge's Colleges are communities of students, academics and staff.Cambridge Colleges provide most of the accommodation for undergraduates and postgraduates at the University. At the undergraduate level they have responsibility for admitting students to the university, providing pastoral support, and organising elements of their tuition. For postgraduate students, research is conducted almost entirely centrally in the faculties, departments and other university-affiliated research centres, though the Colleges provide a central social and intellectual hub for students.Colleges provide a range of facilities and services to their members in addition to accommodation, including catering, library facilities, extracurricular societies, and sporting teams.Colleges also provide funding, accommodation, or both, for some of the academic posts in the university, with the majority of Cambridge academics being a Fellow of a College in addition to their Faculty/Departmental role. Fellows may therefore hold College positions in addition to their academic posts at the University.Colleges are self-governed charities in their own right, with their own endowments and possessions.Christ’s is classified as one of the 16 ‘older’ Cambridge Colleges as it was founded before 1596.Christ’s College is a self-governing academic community; founded in 1505, we are a charity which promotes education and research. We aim to attract the best students, Fellows, and staff, and to give them a secure and supportive environment in which to thrive.

- A free meal when on duty- Free use of the College gym and outdoor swimming pool- Limited car parking- The opportunity to work in a beautiful environment

After this apprenticeship

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, further opportunities may be available to you within the College.

The experience and skills gained should prepare you for future progression within the field of HR.

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CAMBRIDGE REGIONAL COLLEGE

Camilla

01223 418778

The reference code for this apprenticeship isVAC1000320440.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Wednesday 11 June 2025 at 11:59pm)

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