People Services Support Apprentice

South Western News UK; Southampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A railway company in the UK is seeking a People & Culture Apprentice to support HR activities. You will assist in employee relations, manage HR records, and help improve HR processes. The ideal candidate will have strong administrative skills, attention to detail, and an interest in pursuing a career in HR in the railway industry. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits including free travel on services.

Benefits

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees

Full training and support

Excellent pension scheme

Qualifications

• Interest in People & Culture.
• Good working knowledge of IT systems.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to HR Business Partners.
• Maintain HR records and prepare documentation.
• Assist in administration of Company Attendance Procedure.

Skills

Administrative skills

Teamwork

Attention to detail

IT proficiency

Confidentiality

Education

Predicted or achieved Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Outlook

Job description

Overview

Please note you will need to be aged 16–18 on 1 September 2026 to be considered for this opportunity.

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

The purposes of the People & Culture Apprenticeship programme is to allow the People & Culture apprentice to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in a range of HR activities and specialisms.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Provide support to the HR Business Partners with employee relations case management
• Arranging meetings with stakeholders including the release arrangements of Colleagues and Staff Representatives as necessary
• Prepare case related documentation to strict deadlines and ensure that the relevant activity trackers and case summary records are regularly updated.
• Maintain HR records, updating colleague details on various HR systems
• Provide minute taking support to Managers when conducting formal meetings and to ensure adherence to Company and statutory people management procedures.
• Provide assistance with the issuing of correspondence to employees further to formal meeting outcomes.
• Handle conflict and sensitive HR situations professionally and confidentially.
• Ensure that case paperwork is maintained and filed in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations.
• Complete leaver processes including staff changes
• Provide management information and produce key performance indicators in accordance with ongoing and ad-hoc business needs.
• Perform ad-hoc or project related tasks as and when required by the People Services Management team.
• Assist in the administration of the Company Attendance Procedure including weekly prompt reports and updating the HR system with any management action taken.
• Assist the wider People Services team in maintaining the shared email inbox, answering first contact queries in a timely fashion and escalating any complex issues to the relevant team member or manager for resolution.
• General administration
• Develop skills and knowledge in all People Services activities
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement

You'll need to have:

• An interest in People & Culture
• Excellent administrative skills.
• Good working knowledge of a range of IT systems and packages especially with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• A positive team player who has a ‘can-do' attitude and shows initiative
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Ability to work collaboratively within a diverse team and treat all colleagues with dignity and respect.
• The capacity to ensure a high degree of accuracy and quality, whilst adhering to procedure.
• Demonstrates flexibility in approach to the job to ensure that duties are properly performed and to meet the operational demands of the business

Desirable

• Predicted or achieved Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths, or Level 2 Functional Skills.

• A desire to pursue a career in the railway industry.
• Flexibility – this apprenticeship may involve early or late shifts and travel to other areas on our network.
• Excellent communication, with the ability to motivate and inspire a team.
• Proactive and adaptable approach to problem-solving, with a keen eye for detail.
• Willingness to undergo training and development to enhance skills and knowledge in the role.

• A dedication to upholding the company's values and delivering exceptional service

About the location

Overline House is conveniently situated overlooking Southampton Central Station and is easily accessible by public transport. The station is very local to West Quay, a hub for retailers and restaurants, and provides an excellent link between London, Coastal areas and the Isle of Wight.

Working pattern

Working an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

If you require additionalsupport to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/