Apprentice Recruitment and Selection Policy,
Procedure and Guidance
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Date Created:
July 2012
1.0
Date Modified:
December 2012
Author:
Lisa Banks
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Owning Service
Human Resources
Equality Impact
Assessment: (EIA)
Date undertaken:
Chief Executive
Sign & Date:
Corporate Director
(Community Services)
Sign & Date:
Corporate Director
(Children & Young
People)
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Corporate Director
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Change History
Version
Date
Description
Change ID
1
20-07/2012
Apprentice Recruitment and Selection Procedure
2
31-12-2012
Amended to reflect CRB change to DBS
3
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This Policy is not for publication externally
Contents
1. Purpose ............................................................................................................................... 3
2. Policy and supporting documentation .................................................................................. 3
3. Applicability .......................................................................................................................... 3
4. Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................................... 3
5. Equalities ............................................................................................................................. 3
6. Recruitment Procedure ........................................................................................................ 3
7. Vacancy ............................................................................................................................... 4
8. Authorisations ...................................................................................................................... 4
9. Advertise .............................................................................................................................. 5
10. Shortlist ................................................................................................................................ 5
11. Interview .............................................................................................................................. 5
12. Appoint................................................................................................................................. 6
13. Ongoing Support .................................................................................................................. 6
14. The role of the training provider ........................................................................................... 7
15. Failure to comply with WBC Apprentice Recruitment and Selection Procedure .................. 8
16. Review ................................................................................................................................. 8
Frequently Asked Questions ...................................................................................................... 9
Appendix 1 - Example interview questions .............................................................................. 11
Appendix 2 – Induction Checklist - Apprentices ....................................................................... 12
Appendix 3 – Corporate Apprentice example work plan .......................................................... 15
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1. Purpose
The purpose of the Apprentice procedure is to ensure that West Berkshire
Council recruits the right employees;




fairly and efficiently;
in line with agreed staffing levels;
within agreed recruitment and advertising budgets;
to meet its operational requirements and strategic aims.
Apprenticeships are an effective means of employers developing their own talent.
They offer a viable alternative to university for people looking for a direct and
affordable route to skilled jobs and careers
2. Policy and supporting documentation
Procedural guidance to be followed when filling apprentice vacancies in line with
the Recruitment and Selection Policy (sections 7 - 39.). This procedure is to be
used in conjunction with the Recruitment and Selection Policy.
3. Applicability
This Policy applies to the same groups as highlighted in the Recruitment and
Selection Policy.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
As per the Recruitment and Selection Policy
5. Equalities
As per the Recruitment and Selection Policy
6. Recruitment Procedure
Below is a flow chart showing the stages that need to be followed in the
Apprentice recruitment and selection process. The information in the sections
below applies only to Apprentice Recruitment and Selection.
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Vacancy
Authorisations
Advertise
Shortlist
Interview
Appoint
Ongoing Support
7. Vacancy
Apprenticeship roles will be advertised on an annual basis. HR will email out to
all Heads of Service in April to ascertain whether they would be able to take on
an apprentice that year.
The recruiting manager should be clear on the tasks that they want the
apprentice to carry out and the job that the apprentice will be trained to do.
He/she should also be clear about potential progression routes upon completion
of the apprenticeship and what the employment possibilities are. A Job
Description and Person Specification will need to be completed for each
apprentice post. Depending on the type of role to be filled, apprentices can be
employed on Apprentice National Minimum Wage or Grade B. HR will advise
which pay level is appropriate for each role.
8. Authorisations
As per the Recruitment and Selection Policy the necessary authorisations need
to be gained before advertising can take place. The recruitment and selection
process will not commence until an evaluation of the need for the role in the
context of the team and service area’s strategic plans and budget has been
completed. Managers must obtain authorisation from the Portfolio Holder for
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their service before starting the recruitment process. Once the need for the post
has been agreed then an EC1 needs to be completed and sent to HR along with
the necessary email approvals.
9. Advertise
HR will arrange the advertising for all the apprentice posts required. An EC5 will
not be required from the Recruitung Manager. Advertising will usually be placed
in the local paper, West Berkshire Council intranet and within local colleges and
schools.
Once the applicant has applied they will need to register with West Berkshire
Training Consortium who provides the training for West Berkshire Council
apprentices
10. Shortlist
Applications will be assessed against only the criteria listed on the person
specification. HR will assess each applicant and invite those that meet minimum
criteria to an assessment centre. HR will write to those who do not meet the
minimum criteria and inform them that their application will not be taken any
further.
HR will write to the recruiting managers and ask for dates and times for
interviews and details of who will be conducting the interview. Recruiting
managers are responsible for making any necessary logistical arrangements.
The Interview Checklist can assist with ensuring all the necessary tasks have
been completed.
The assessment centre will be run by HR and will require the applicant to take
part in a clerical checking exercise and will be invited to write three reasons why
they wish to become an apprentice at West Berkshire Council. Should any other
additional tests be needed due to the role requirements, for example numeracy,
these can be arranged through HR. Based on the results, HR will identify those
applicants who have gained the necessary scores in the assessment centre and
invite them to interview.
11. Interview
At interview the suitability of each applicant will be assessed against the
requirements of the job as specified in the Job Description and Person
Specification. Interview questions will be based upon these requirements. The
Interview Question Matrix should be completed for each interview and used for
feedback as required. Please see Appendix 1 for some example questions
How you select your apprentice will depend on the age and previous experience
of the applicants. If you are recruiting 16-18 years olds straight out of school or
college, they may have some part time work experience but that will be different
from full time work. In these cases conventional interview techniques may not be
appropriate. However, if you are dealing with older candidates or candidates who
have experience in the workplace, you may want to ask some more job-relevant
questions.
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12. Appoint
The interview panel will make Recruitment decisions based on evidence
gathered during the recruitment and selection process.
Offers of employment must comply with the Council’s pay, terms and conditions
of employment and other policies and procedures relevant to the role.
Apprenticeships will normally be paid the Apprentice National Minimum wage or
in some cases (where authorised) may be employed on the West Berkshire
Council pay grade B. A contract of employment for an apprentice will be offered
on a fixed term basis for one year. Where temporary employment is to be offered
recruiting managers will comply with the guidance in Using Casual, Fixed Term
and Agency Staff.
The Council will carry out appropriate pre-employment checks for applicants prior
to appointment as specified in the pre-employment checks procedure . See
recruiting and appointing staff on the HR Intranet.
All successful candidates undertaking a regulated activity with with children,
young people and/or vulnerable adults will be subject to a Disclosure and
Barrimg Service (DBS) check (formerly a criminal records bureau check) along
with other relevant employment checks. In certain circumstances an employee
may start work before a DBS check has been obtained as long as he/she is
suitably supervised and measures are put in place to protect children, young
people and/or vulnerable adults for whom the Council has a duty of care.
Managers should comply with the requirements of the DBS Check Application
Procedure. Managers of regulated services should also refer to the sections
below.
Services that are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CSCI prior to 1st
April 2009) such as care homes, domiciliary care and adult placement, must
comply with additional specific requirements and guidance. See Recruitment and
Selection Policy for detailed information
Services regulated by Ofsted must comply with additional specific requirements
and guidance. See Recruitment and Selection Policy for detailed information
Unsuccessful applicants at all stages of the recruitment process have the right to
receive feedback from a member of the recruiting panel on request.
13. Ongoing Support
The induction of an Apprentice will be very similar to that of standard new
employee. The induction checklist should be completed with them on their first
day and they will be booked onto the Corporate Induction by the HR team.
The Apprentice will also be required to complete all the mandatory corporate
training like any other employee.
There are additional elements that will need to be covered in their induction such
as the time off for college, meetings with training providers and time in the week
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to complete their NVQ work. These items are covered in Appendix 4 Induction
Checklist for Apprentices.
An apprentice has made an active choice to learn on the job so it is important to
build on this commitment and give them appropriate levels of responsibility but
also the support they will require to succeed.
This can be done by,



Giving an apprentice a clear outline of expectations and a safe supportive
environment to learn and develop
Encouraging them from the start to own and drive their programme targets
and to seek regular feedback to self assess their performance
Think about putting a workplace-learning mentor in place to further
enhance the experience, add and create a proactive environment that
builds on their eagerness, motivation and commitment.
Mentoring is an effective way of helping people to progress in their careers. It is a
partnership between two people (mentor and apprentice). A mentor is a guide
who can help the apprentice to find the right direction ands who can help them to
develop solutions to career issues. If you do decide to appoint a mentor for your
apprentice, try to select an employee who is naturally helpful, good with people
and has the desire to help someone in their working life.
The key purpose of a mentor is to:
-
Monitor their progress – This may be on a formal 1:1 basis once a month or
through informal conversations, or both. It is really important that they help the
apprentice move forward. Goals should be set so that the Apprentice can see
that they are achieving something and having an impact.
-
Liaise with the training provider. This is an essential part of the role. The
training provider will provide an assessor who will assess the work they are
doing against the NVQ. It is important that the mentor is aware of how they are
doing and what work they need to be given to help them through the NVQ.
-
Set up work plans. The Apprentice has applied for the role so that they can gain
as much experience as possible in the service. The work plan will provide a
structure for what they will be doing and will enable them to use this as
evidence for their NVQ. A sample work programme is shown in Appendix 5.
-
Listen to them and offer support. For many of our apprentices this will be their
first time in a work environment and it may be rather daunting. The mentor will
be there to listen to any concerns or questions and provide advice from their
own experiences on how these can be resolved.
14. The role of the training provider
West Berkshire Training Consortium (WBTC) Roles and Responsibilities
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
To provide the apprentice's with off-the-job training funded for all ages (barring
those who have a degree)

To make contact with the successful apprentice as notified by WBC within 10
working days of information received to arrange an induction with WBTC

To arrange an assessor appointment with the successful apprentice within 10
working days of applicants start date as notified by WBC

To make contact with the successful apprentices’ manager within 10 working days
of the applicant information received to arrange a meeting to discuss the
apprenticeship framework

To create and agree with the apprentice and manager an individual learning plan for
within 10 days of apprentice’s start date

To contact the apprentice and their manager for reviews on a frequent basis no less
than once every six weeks
15. Failure to comply with WBC Apprentice Recruitment and Selection Procedure
Adherence to this policy is a condition of working for the council or using its
assets.
All those involved in the recruitment process are responsible for familiarising
themselves with, and complying with, the Recruitment and Selection Policy,
Procedure and Guidance.
Failure to follow the policy may result in:


Informal disciplinary processes
Formal disciplinary action (in accordance with the disciplinary procedure)
16. Review
This policy will be reviewed to respond to any changes and at least every 3
years.
The Service responsible for reviewing and maintaining this Policy is Human
Resources.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a combination of employment and training (the apprentice
obtains a nationally recognised qualification upon completion) for anyone above
the age of 16. Employers train individuals within the contact of their organisation
so apprentices contribute the organisation’s productivity while developing their
own skills.
Benefits of Apprenticeship





A more engaged workforce
Lower staff turnover
Reduced recruitment costs
Better image
Greater Customer satisfaction
Who can be an Apprentice?
Apprenticeships are available to anyone over 16 years of age who is not in full
time education. The individual can be a new or existing employee.
What makes apprenticeships different from other training initiatives?
Apprenticeships are a unique concept of learning a profession in the workplace,
with the benefit of acquiring knowledge from experts. This means you can pass
down the skills and knowledge from your most able workers to incoming or
existing employees, keeping your skills in-house and passing them from one
generation to the next.
What level and kind of training will my apprentice receive?
Off the job training will be provided by West Berkshire Training Consortium
(WBTC) based in Newbury. Further information on the communication process
will be detailed below.
The apprentice will follow a ‘framework’ designated by their training provider that
will include these core components
A competence based element
A knowledge based element
Transferable or key/core skills
Employment rights and responsibilities
The type of work based training that a manager should provide depends on the
nature and type of job.
How long does an apprenticeship take to complete?
The apprentices are employed on a fixed term contract of one year.
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What pay will they receive?
There is an apprentice minimum wage (NMW) which applies to all 16 – 18 year
olds and to those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship. It may
be possible to pay the apprentice on the West Berkshire Council pay scale
depending on the role to be filled and receiving the necessary authorisations
How do I develop the role an apprentice can play within my Service Unit?
Ideally the role profile should be developed with the future business processes in
mind and should define the skills required, the knowledge to inform the skills and
a clear behavioural framework to work towards.
Can I only employ an apprentice for full time hours?
The minimum an apprentice is able to work and still remain on the apprenticeship
is 30 hours per week.
Will I have to spend a lot of time supervising an apprentice – they are
resource intensive?
Apprentices certainly need to be supervised – maybe quite a lot at the beginning.
However as skills and experience increase, the apprentice will be able to work on
their own initiative and you’ll really start to see the benefits. People who have not
entered the work place before will need some pastoral care – but otherwise they
are just like the rest of your workforce.
How should I review their progress?
As with all employees the Performance Management Policy should be followed in
order to effectively manage the performance of your apprentice
How closely do apprentices need to be managed?
Most apprentices will be relatively new to the world of work, so the way that they
are managed is crucial. Just like your other employees, good management and
supervision will help the person to develop more quickly, but this is also about
providing support to the individual, in terms of building up their confidence and
demonstrating that they can play a positive role in the world of work and become
a trained professional
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Appendix 1 - Example interview questions

What are you reasons for wanting to become an apprentice at West
Berkshire Council?

What is your experience of the Council and the services we provide?

What do you know about the role in ……………………….?

Can you provide an example from either work or school where you have
had to deal with a difficult situation and how you overcame this?

What do you think are the most important things in ensuring good
customer service?

How would you deal with a telephone call from a difficult customer?

What are you hoping to get out of the apprenticeship scheme?

What are your future ambitions?

Some aspects of office admin work may sometimes be a bit repetitive,
how would you stay motivated while doing this?

What things would you do to ensure that you keep data confidential? Why
do you think confidentiality is so important in this role?
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Appendix 2 – Induction Checklist - Apprentices
This checklist has been designed to help apprentices get the information they need in the
first weeks of employment. The apprentice and the line manager/mentor should
complete and sign the checklist within the first 4 weeks of employment.
Employee Name
Service Unit
Start Date
Reporting To
Please tick each box when completed…
Actions for Line Manager prior to employee starting
Allocate desk, chair, PC etc. (if a fixed worker), allocate any necessary equipment to work
remotely (if free or
home flex worker)
Organise a basic set of stationery for Day 1
Request email and shared drive access (allowing at least 10 days notice)
http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3874
Make arrangement for Access Card (Property services)
http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=13395
Identify and discuss any special equipment or adjustments to the working environment that
may be required
Nominate and brief mentor (if not line manager)
Book time in diary for meeting the new starter on the first day and set work plan
FIRST DAY
Line Manager/Mentor ‘meet and greet’
Provide overview of the WBC induction process
Introduce mentor (if not line manager)
Arrange photograph and allocate ID badge (General Office)
http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=13744
Introduce key contacts, team members and work relationships with people in the team
Provide overview of Service structure
Explain roles and work plan (and explain Mobile and Flexible Working principles if
relevant)
Explain 1:1 process, book first 1:1 session
Ensure they know who their assessor is, and the first meeting with them is arranged
Explain Probationary period and book in the 1, 3 and 5 month reviews
Confirm receipt of…
Contract
Pensions info and opt out form
Bank details form
P46
ICT Policy
Emergency contact form
Corporate Induction date
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Departmental/Team Induction (carried out by mentor or line manager)
Location of – toilets, refreshments, notice boards & recycling
Tour of building. Explain location of other offices
Explain routines and the structures of the day
Where to store personal effects, housekeeping
Health and Safety (www.westberks.gov.uk/healthandsafety)
 Location and operation of fire exits, extinguishers, alarm call points and fire assembly points
 Identity of local Fire Warden(s)
 Identity of local Health and Safety Co-ordinator and Union Health and Safety Representative
 Identity of local First Aider(s)
 Identity of building Health and Safety ‘Competent Person’
 Accident and incident reporting procedures
 Location of Service Area Risk Assessments (electronic format on shared drive or paper versions
if not
a PC user)
 Specific awareness training on own Risk Assessment(s) and any associated safe systems or
work, for
employee’s job role
 Local Lone Working procedures
 Location of any Asbestos Containing Materials within work area and local rules re nondisturbance
 DSE workstation self-assessment procedure and eye sight testing procedure
 Location of Mobile and Flexible Working Health and Safety checklist (if relevant)
 Location of Health and Safety advice pages on the intranet
Telephone and post
 Local procedures for answering the phone
 Dial-out and transferring calls
 Voicemail (if applicable)
 Making personal calls
 How get to the telephone directory
 Post and courier arrangements
ICT (http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3204)
 Using Outlook for emails and diary management as a minimum
 Intranet – changing your personal data, access to policies
 Shared drive – accessing corporate templates for letters, faxes, etc
 How to call the IT Helpdesk
 ICT training available and booking process
Administration/ Other
 Use of photocopier/fax machine
 Explain how to book meeting rooms and loan equipment
 How to meet and greet visitors
 Explain security and access to the building
 Explain their responsibility for any Council equipment that they may need to use
 Car Parking Arrangements (local double parking procedures, car sharing)
WEEK 1 – 4 (not all will be relevant)
Corporate plan and service plan
Standard of work expected including any Key Performance Indicators and Service Level Agreements
Customer expectations, complaints and dealing with the press (Customer Charter)
Relationships with other departments and partners (include LSP, LAA, Partners such as voluntary and
Independent sector)
Any relevant committee dates, reports including templates
Learning and Development opportunities and booking processes, including booking on mandatory
training:
 Welcome to West Berkshire Council (and Management Induction for managers)
 Equalities and Diversity
 Health and Safety
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 Fire Awareness
 Employee Performance Management
 Stress Management and Wellbeing
 Using Information at West Berkshire Council
 Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
 Security Awareness
For further information on staff development go to: (www.westberks.gov.uk/training)
Finance
 Explain who controls the service budget(s) and who can authorise expenditure
 Explain how the team is financed, including the budget and how this is broken down
 Explain Agresso system and ensure adequate training is provided if required
Communication systems
 Intranet
 Reporter
 Team meetings
 Chief Executive’s briefings
Employment policies and procedures (www.westberks.gov.uk/humanresources)
 Sickness absence – self certification, reporting
 Approval of annual leave. Issue leave card
 Hours, times of work and flexi working
 Mobile and Flexible Working Procedure
 Arrangements for breaks
 Arrangement for payment of wages / salary
 Process for completion of time sheets, expenses and mileage claims (MyView for PC users)
 Discuss Data Protection, Freedom of Information requests and confidentiality
 Go through Equalities Policy – discuss implications for the employee
 ‘Whistleblowing’ procedure
 Code of conduct
 Grievance
 Disciplinary
 Capability / Management of sickness and absence procedure
 Performance Capability Procedure
 Induction & Probation Policy
 Smoking Policy
Staff Benefits information – www.westberks.gov.uk/humanresources under ‘Information for Employees’
Any additional role/team specific items (e.g. dress code, RAISE access, protective equipment)
Employee’s Declaration
I confirm that I understand the topics detailed in the checklist above and will ask if I have any further
questions.
Signed
Date
Line Manager’s declaration
I confirm that I have covered the topics above with the named employee
Signed
Date
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Appendix 3 – Corporate Apprentice example work plan
This can be as detailed as you feel necessary, it is important for the Apprentice to get as
much experience as possible while they are working here. If it’s possible in your service
moving them around will give them a more varied experience.
Especially in their first few weeks, a work plan will give them more structure, which will be
important for those who have not worked before.
AM
PM
Monday
Training team
– helping to
set up
training
rooms,
answering
email queries
Training team
– helping to
set up
training
rooms,
printing
attendance
lists and
certificates
Tuesday
Recruitment
team –
opening and
distributing
post, 1 hour of
filing.
Wednesday
Recruitment
team –opening
and
distributing
post, 1 hour of
filing.
Thursday
Recruitment
team –
opening and
distributing
post, 1 hour of
filing.
Recruitment
team – data
inputting,
answering
email queries
Operations
team –
answering
email queries,
1 hour of filing
Operations
team – data
inputting, 1
hour of filing.
Friday
Training
team –
helping to set
up training
rooms,
answering
email queries
Training
team –
helping to set
up training
rooms,
printing
attendance
lists and
certificates
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