People Shared Service Apprentice

MidKent College; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

MidKent College is seeking a People Shared Services Apprentice to join the People Team at Cross College (Maidstone & Gillingham). This permanent full‑time apprenticeship offers hands-on experience across HR processes, from recruitment and onboarding to payroll administration and learning and development.

You will work with experienced HR professionals, gaining knowledge, confidence and practical skills for a successful HR career. No prior HR experience required beyond a proactive attitude.

Qualifications

• Enthusiastic about starting a career in People/HR.
• Organised, reliable and has good attention to detail.
• Communicates confidently and professionally.
• Enjoys helping and supporting others.
• Comfortable using computers and keen to learn new systems.
• Willing to learn, take feedback and develop their skills.
• No previous HR experience is required; attitude and enthusiasm to learn matter most.

Responsibilities

• Support recruitment and onboarding processes, including pre‑employment and safeguarding checks.
• Communicate professionally with candidates, recruiting managers and People Team colleagues.
• Assist with preparing and issuing offers, contracts and other recruitment documentation.
• Maintain accurate employee records across People and payroll systems and process routine changes.
• Support the preparation of contracts and employee documentation with confidentiality.
• Assist with routine reporting, data entry and information gathering from People systems.
• Support employee lifecycle processes including starters, probation and leavers.
• Assist with staff departure processes and exit interviews.
• Respond to routine People queries from employees and managers.
• Provide administrative support for College learning and development activities.

Skills

Organised

Attention to detail

Communication

Willing to learn

Job description

People Shared Service Apprentice

Application Deadline: 14 November 2026

Department: People Team

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Cross College (Maidstone & Gillingham)

Reporting To: Abi Tarbet

Compensation: £15,392 - £24,454 / year

Description

Are you organised, approachable and interested in starting a career in HR? We're looking for a People Shared Services Apprentice to join our friendly People Team and gain hands‑on experience across a wide range of People processes.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn while you work, alongside completing your apprenticeship qualification. You'll gain experience in recruitment and onboarding, pre‑employment checks, employee records, payroll administration, contracts, learning and development and much more.

You’ll work alongside experienced People professionals who will support your development, helping you build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills needed for a successful career in HR.

We're looking for someone who:

• Is enthusiastic about starting a career in People/HR.
• Is organised, reliable and has good attention to detail.
• Communicates confidently and professionally.
• Enjoys helping and supporting others.
• Is comfortable using computers and keen to learn new systems.
• Is willing to learn, take feedback and develop their skills.

No previous HR experience is required! We're looking for someone with the right attitude, potential and enthusiasm to learn.

This apprenticeship is designed to give you the foundations for a career in People Services, with the opportunity to develop towards a People Shared Services Assistant role as your skills and experience grow.

Main Responsibilities and Duties:

1. Support recruitment and onboarding processes, including pre-employment and safeguarding checks such as references, DBS and right to work checks, following established procedures and with appropriate guidance.
2. Communicate professionally with candidates, recruiting managers and People Team colleagues, responding to routine queries and escalating issues where appropriate.
3. Assist with preparing and issuing offers, contracts and other recruitment documentation, ensuring information is accurate and appropriately authorised.
4. Assist with maintaining accurate employee records across People and payroll systems and processing routine employee and payroll changes.
5. Support the preparation of contracts, contract variations, confirmation letters and other employee documentation, maintaining confidentiality and following College procedures.
6. Assist with routine reporting, data entry and information gathering from People systems, developing skills in data quality and management information.
7. Support employee lifecycle processes, including starters, probation, contractual changes, transfers and leavers, ensuring relevant records and actions are completed accurately.
8. Assist with staff departure processes, including preparing documentation, arranging exit interviews and updating relevant records.
9. Respond to routine People queries from employees and managers, providing appropriate information and seeking guidance when required.
10. Provide administrative support for College learning and development activities, including management development, apprenticeships, CPD and other training programmes.
11. Assist with the organisation of training activities, including bookings, joining instructions, attendance, materials, evaluations and certificates.
12. Maintain accurate training records and support expenditure monitoring and invoice processing.
13. Develop knowledge and confidence in People systems and support data quality checks, reporting and the maintenance of People Team information, including the College and MKC Training intranet.
14. Support People Team projects, initiatives, events and communications, contributing to the effective operation of the People Shared Services function and identifying opportunities to improve processes and the employee experience.
15. Work collaboratively across the People Team and wider organisation, providing a professional, responsive and customer‑focused service while developing knowledge and skills through the apprenticeship programme.
16. Undertake any other reasonable duties consistent with the level and responsibilities of the post, as directed by the line manager.

Application Requirements

To ensure compliance with safeguarding guidelines, all applicants must complete the application form in full. This includes providing:

• A full employment history from the time you left full‑time education, with details of any gaps in employment explained.
• Information on all relevant education and qualifications.

Please note, incomplete applications will not be considered. Your co‑operation helps us maintain the highest standards of safety and care for children and young people.

Benefits

Click here to view MidKent College benefits.