Retail & Trading Apprentice

ICE Creates; Crawley; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 20,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Life Assurance

Employee discounts

Job summary

St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, West Sussex, invites applications for a Retail & Trading Apprentice. This 20-month full-time programme combines on-the-job training with study time toward a Level 2 Retail qualification, across our charity shops in Surrey and Sussex.

You will develop customer service, stock awareness and shop operations while supporting sustainable, second-hand retail. No prior retail experience is required for applicants aged 16–18.

Qualifications

• No prior retail experience required.
• Ages 16–18, with enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
• Customer-focused role with a genuine interest in sustainable shopping.

Responsibilities

• Learn effective communication and customer service.
• Develop operational skills to run multiple shop locations.
• Gain insight into stock management and pricing across locations.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer focus

Stock management

Dynamic pricing

Education

Level 2 Retail Apprenticeship

Tools

POS systems

Job description

Retail & Trading Apprentice – Studying Retailer Level 2 Apprenticeship

UK Government Apprenticeship salary scale

Assessment Day to be held at the hospice in Pease pottage on 28 or 30 September2026 (Please note these are the only dates available)

Closing date 18 September 2026

Please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Lookingfor your first step into retail? Excited about sustainability and givingfashion a second life? We have an exciting opportunity for 16 – 18 years olds with no experience necessary,to gain real work experience across a dynamic trading team, developing the skills needed for a future in Retail.

If you’re looking for a hands on role and motivated to support a sustainable organisation this is your chance to gain valuable experience while making a real contribution. We are looking for enthusiasm, a willingness and drive to learn, and a genuine interest in a customer focused career.

About Us:

St Catherine’s Hospice is a respected local charity providing specialist hospice care alongside statutory service partners (GPs, District nursing etc) across West Sussex and East Surrey.

We provide care in communities across Surrey and Sussex which are richly diverse and we want to reflect that in everything we do. We celebrate and support difference and welcome applications from all backgrounds. If you believe in the importance of what we do, share our values and want to be a part of an outstanding team building something important, we’d love to hear from you.

We have twelve charity shops located across Surrey and Sussex, with a large Trading Team that all work hard to contribute to eco-friendly second hand shopping that helps raise vital funds for our Hospice.

The Role:

The Retail & Trading Apprentice is offered on a 20 month full time, fixed term basis. Working 37.5 hours per week, this will include your apprenticeship study time.

As the Retail & Trading Apprentice , you’ll work towards your Level 2 qualification while gaining valuable, real-world experience. You’ll play an active role supporting across a variety of our shops, meeting new people. developing customer service skills and operational awareness of running charity shops.

About You:

Are you looking to start your career in Retail or a customer focused environment, whilst working towards a recognised qualification? Then join our team as a Retail & Trading Apprentice and begin an exciting journey developing your skills to communicate and build valuable relationships and promote sustainable shopping.

This development role is designed to build your skills, knowledge, and confidence, enabling you to provide efficient and effective day-to-day support, contributing with new ideas, collaboration and energy and enthusiasm to learn.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Learning effective communication and customer focused skilled
• Operational skills to run and manage various shop locations
• Strategic insight into stock management, dynamic pricing and costs
• Working across a variety of locations

What You’ll Gain:

• A nationally recognised Level 2 qualification
• Practical, hands on experience across a dynamic Trading Team
• Insight into working with a range of staff, volunteers and meeting customers
• Structured learning combined with on-the-job training

Our Shop Locations:

Employees at St Catherine’s Hospice can enjoy a variety of benefits including

• Generous annual leave starting at 25 days, rising to 30 days with length of service, plus Bank Holidays, and an opportunity to buy / sell annual leave days. Plus we offer a day off for volunteering & moving house.
• Generous Pension scheme with up to 9% employer contributions or honour of NHS pension.
• Life Assurance Scheme, Counselling Offering, and a range of discounts.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone and we are proud to be a Disability Confident Level 3 Employer, committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace.

• Please note a requirement of all roles at St Catherine’s is to complete mandatory E-learning training and remain compliant with this throughout your employment.
• Authorised to work in the United Kingdom, please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorships.

We are located in Grace Holland Avenue, Pease Pottage, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 9SL. You can access the Hospice by car, bus, bike or walking, with full transport details on our website.

If you require any additional information or would like to discuss this role further, please email [e-mail] or give us a call on 01293 447353.

UK Government Apprenticeship salary scale