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Business and management apprenticeships
Whether the company needs a member of staff to work in the administration department to improve office processes, wants to develop its customer service or online sales and marketing function, or is looking to develop an employee to take on a supervisory or management role, apprenticeship training will enable them to develop the latest sector skills and knowledge needed to meet the demands of the business.
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Associate Project Manager – Level 4 Business Administrator – Level 3 Customer Service Practitioner – Level 2 Customer Service Specialist – Level 3 Digital Marketer – Level 3 Operations Departmental Manager – Level 5 Team Leader Supervisor – Level 3
ASSOCIATE PROJECT MANAGER - ST0310
Role profile
Projects can be defined and delivered within different contexts, across diverse industry sectors and, whether big or small, every project needs to be managed to ensure its success. An associate project manager knows what needs to be achieved, how it will be achieved, how long it will take and how much it will cost, and need good planning, organisation, leadership, management and communication skills to work with the project team to achieve the required outcomes. They utilise resources with suitable skills, qualifications, experience and knowledge to work together in a motivated and integrated team, with clearly defined reporting lines, roles, responsibilities and authorities. Dependent upon the size of the organisation and the complexity of project, associate project managers’ job titles will vary, but typically can include assistant project manager, junior project manager, project team leader. Some organisations use ‘project manager’ as a generic job title.
CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
KNOWLEDGE
Apprentices will develop the knowledge and understanding required of an associate project manager: • Project governance -Different types of organisational structures and responsibilities, functions and project phases on different types of project. How governance can control and manage the successful delivery of projects. The significance of the project management plan (PMP). • Project stakeholder management -
Stakeholders: their perspectives, different interests and levels of influence upon project outcomes. • Project communication - Key contexts of a project communication plan, its effectiveness in managing different stakeholders. Factors which can affect communications such as cultural and physical barriers • Project leadership - The vision and values of the project and its links to objectives; the ways in which these can be effectively communicated and reinforced to team members and stakeholders.
Leadership styles, qualities and the importance of motivation on team performance. Characteristics of the working environment which encourage and sustain high performance. • Consolidated planning - Purpose and formats for consolidated plans to support overall management, taking account of lessons learnt and how the plans balance fundamental components of scope, schedule, resources, budgets, risks and quality requirements. • Budgeting and cost control - Funding, estimating, overheads; direct costs, indirect costs, fixed costs, variable costs and an overall budget for a project; tracking systems for actual costs, accruals and committed costs; alternative cost breakdowns to provide for graphical representations, and performance management. • Business case and benefits management -
Preparation and/or maintenance of business cases, including benefits management. • Project scope - Requirements management, and evaluation of alternative methods to learn from the past to improve delivery. Project scope change control, baseline change management, configuration management. • Project schedule - Scheduling and estimating for project activities including how they can be quality assessed. Progress monitoring and metrics to assess work performed against the schedule. Schedule management methods
to evaluate and revise activities to improve confidence in delivery. • Resource management - Resource analysis, resource allocation and resource acceptance. • Project risk and issue management - The need for and implementation of a risk management plan. Risk management methods and techniques to identify and prioritise threats or opportunities. Mitigation actions to minimise risk impacts and to optimise benefits by managing opportunities.
• Contract management and procurement
– The nature of contracts, and their implications for contracting organisations.
Procurement processes. Legal and ethical means for managing contracts. • Project quality - Quality management processes, assurance and improvements.
Outcomes of a quality management plan, metrics for processes and quality standards. • Project context - The different contexts in which projects can be delivered, including health, safety, and environment management. The interdependencies between project(s), programme(s) and portfolio management. Project phases and key review points, across project life cycles.
SKILLS
Apprentices will gain skills required of an associate project manager within the context of the organisation: • Project governance - Project monitoring and reporting cycle to track, assess and interpret performance by the application of monitoring techniques to analyse status and manage information.
• Stakeholder and communications
management - Manage stakeholders, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests. Manage conflicts and negotiations. Communicate to a variety
of different audiences. Contribute to negotiations relating to project objectives. • Budgeting and cost control - Develop and agree project budgets, monitor forecast and actual costs against them and control changes. Support funding submissions.
Tracking systems for actual costs, accruals and committed costs; structures for alternative cost breakdowns. • Business case - Contribute to the preparation or maintenance of a business case including achieving required outcomes. • Scope management - Determine, control and manage changes to the scope of a project, including assumptions, dependencies and constraints. • Consolidated planning - Consolidate and document the fundamental components of projects. Monitor progress against the consolidated plan and refine as appropriate, implementing the change control process where relevant. • Schedule management - Prepare and maintain schedules for activities aligned to project delivery. • Risk, and issue management - Identify and monitor project risk or opportunity, plan and implement responses to them, contribute to a risk management plan. Respond to and manage issues within a defined governance structure. • Contract management and procurement -
Facilitate a procurement process, contribute to the definition of contractual agreements and contribute to managing a contract. • Quality management - Develop a quality management plan, manage project assurance, and contribute to peer reviews. Utilise an organisation’s continual improvement process including lessons learned. • Resource management - Develop resource management plans for project activities,
acquire and manage resources including commitment acceptance, monitor progress against plans.
BEHAVIOURS
Apprentices will be able to demonstrate the behaviours required of an associate project manager: • Collaboration and teamwork - Understands and is effective as part of an integrated team. • Leadership - Communicates direction and supports the vision for project delivery.
• Effective and appropriate communication
- Working effectively with and influencing others, taking account of diversity and equality. Influences and facilitates effective team performance. • Drive for results - Demonstrates clear commitment to achieving results and improving performance.
• Integrity, ethics, compliance and
professionalism - Promotes the wider public good in all actions, acting in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner.
Promotes and models the highest standards of professional integrity, ethics, trust and continued development.
SUMMARY
Qualification Level
Associate Project Manager 4
Length Delivery model Entry requirements
Maths and English
24 months Combination of online and face-to-face tuition sessions Set by individual employers Typically, candidates will have achieved a grade C/4 or above in at least five GCSEs including English and maths, and hold a minimum of 48 UCAS points, or equivalent. Apprentices without Level 2 qualifications in English and/or maths will be required to achieve this level in the relevant subject(s) prior to taking end point assessment (EPA).
Apprentice support and assessment
Throughout the programme the apprentice will receive expert training from highly qualified staff A qualified assessor will provide an induction and regular workplace assessments Progression On completion of the programme appretnices can progress to: • Full-time work in the sector • Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6) • Project Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6) • Senior Leaders Degree Apprenticeship (Level 7) Professional body recognition On commencement of the programme, apprentices may become student members of the Association for Project Management (APM) as the first step of professional membership. On completion of the programme, apprentices will be eligible for progression to associate membership of the APM. Full membership can be attained through further experience and professional development.
Employer support
A dedicated account manager will guide and support employers throughout the programme.
BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATION - ST0070
Role profile
Business administrators have a highly transferable set of knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be applied in all sectors, including small and large in the public, private and charitable sector. Their role is to support and engage with different parts of the organisation and interact with internal or external customers and add value by contributing to the efficiency of the business by supporting functional areas, working across teams and resolving issues as requested. The role may involve working independently or as part of a team and will involve developing, implementing, maintaining and improving administrative services. Business administrators develop key skills and behaviours to support their own progression towards management responsibilities, and the flexibility and responsiveness required allows the apprentice to develop a wide range of skills. Business administrators are expected to show a positive attitude and deliver their responsibilities efficiently and with integrity. The role involves demonstrating strong communication skills (both written and verbal) and adopting a proactive approach to developing skills, and they are also expected to show initiative, manage priorities and their own time, demonstrate problem-solving and decision-making skills and the potential for people management responsibilities through mentoring coaching others.
CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
The apprenticeship provides a highly transferable set of knowledge, skills and behaviours, which can be gained working across an organisation and its processes and provides a firm grounding in organisational operations and functional processes, as well as the wider working environment.
KNOWLEDGE
Apprentices will develop knowledge of: • The organisation: Understands organisational purpose, activities, aims, values, vision for the future, resources and the way that the political/economic environment affects the organisation. • Value of their skills: Knows organisational structure and demonstrates understanding of how their work benefits the organisation.
Knows how they fit within their team and recognises how their skills can help them to progress their career. • Stakeholders: Has a practical knowledge of managing stakeholders and their differing relationships to an organisation. This includes internal and external customers, clients and/or suppliers. Liaises with internal/external customers, suppliers or stakeholders from inside or outside the
UK. Engages and fosters relationships with suppliers and partner organisations. • Relevant regulation: Understands laws and regulations that apply to their role including data protection, health & safety, compliance etc. Supports the company in applying the regulations. • Policies: Understands the organisation’s internal policies and key business policies relating to sector. • Business fundamentals- Understands the applicability of business principles such as managing change, business finances and project management. • Processes: Understands the organisation’s processes, e.g. making payments or processing customer data. Is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. Applying a solutions-based approach to improve business processes and helping define procedures. Understands how to administer billing, process invoices and purchase orders.
• External environment factors: Understands relevant external factors e.g. market forces, policy & regulatory changes, supply chain etc. and the wider business impact). Where necessary understands the international/ global market in which the employing organisation is placed.
SKILLS
Apprentices will develop skills in: • IT: Skilled in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data e.g. MS Office or equivalent packages. Able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required. • Record and document production: Produces accurate records and documents including emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals. Makes recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. Drafts correspondence, writes reports and able to review others’ work. Maintains records and files, handles confidential information in compliance with the organisation’s procedures. Coaches others in the processes required to complete these tasks. • Decision making: Exercises proactivity and good judgement. Makes effective decisions based on sound reasoning and is able to deal with challenges in a mature way. Seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate. • Interpersonal skills: Builds and maintains positive relationships within their own team and across the organisation. Demonstrates ability to influence and challenge appropriately. Becomes a role model to peers and team, developing coaching skills as they
gain area knowledge. • Communication: Demonstrates good communication skills, whether face-toface, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. Uses the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively.
Demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. Understands and applies social media solutions appropriately.
Answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department. • Quality: Completes tasks to a high standard.
Demonstrates the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and applies themselves to continuously improve their work. Reviews processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements.
Shares administrative best practice across the organisation e.g. coaches others to perform tasks correctly. Applies problemsolving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues • Planning and organisation: Takes responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. Positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace. Makes suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment (e.g. impact on clients, suppliers, other parts of the organisation). Manages resources e.g. equipment or facilities. Organises meetings and events, takes minutes during meetings and creates action logs as appropriate. Takes responsibility for logistics e.g. travel and accommodation. • Project management: Uses relevant project management principles and tools to scope,
plan, monitor and report. Plans required resources to successfully deliver projects. Undertakes and leads projects as and when required.
BEHAVIOUR
Apprentices will demonstrate the following behaviors: • Professionalism: Behaves in a professional way, including personal presentation, respect, respecting and encouraging diversity to cater for wider audiences, punctuality and attitude to colleagues, customers and key stakeholders. Adheres to the organisation’s code of conduct for professional use of social media. Acts as a role model, contributing to team cohesion and productivity representing the positive aspects of team culture and respectfully challenging inappropriate prevailing cultures. • Personal qualities: Shows exemplary qualities that are valued including integrity, reliability, self-motivation, being pro-active and a positive attitude. Motivates others where responsibility is shared. • Managing performance: Takes responsibility for their own work, accepts feedback in a positive way, uses initiative and shows resilience. Also takes responsibility for their own development, knows when to ask questions to complete a task and informs their line manager when a task is complete.
Performs thorough self-assessments of their work and complies with the organisation’s procedures. • Adaptability: Is able to accept and deal with changing priorities related to both their own work and to the organisation. • Responsibility: Demonstrates taking responsibility for team performance and quality of projects delivered. Takes a clear interest in seeing that projects are successfully completed and customer requests handled appropriately. Takes initiative to develop own and others’ skills and behaviours
SUMMARY
Qualification Level Length Delivery model
Entry requirements
Maths and English
Apprentice support and assessment
Progression
Employer support
Level 3 Business Administrator 3 Minimum 12 months. Typically completed within 18 months. Workplace-based with attendance at college sessions to develop required knowledge and skills and behaviours. The selection process will include a basic Initial Assessment and an interview during which suitability, commitment and interest for the programme will be determined. Literacy, numeracy and ICT at Level 1 or above Math and English at GCSE grades A (7) -C (4) or equivalent. Apprentices without Level 1 (or equivalent) in English and/ or maths must achieve this and take the test for Level 2 prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for those for whom this is their primary language. Throughout the programme the apprentice will receive expert training from highly qualified staff A qualified assessor will provide an induction and regular workplace assessments The administration role may be a gateway to further career opportunities, such as management or senior support roles. A dedicated account manager will guide and support employers throughout the programme.
CUSTOMER SERVICE PRACTITIONER - ST0072
Role profile
Customer service practitioners work in a range of sectors and locations and provide a high quality service to customers of the organisation communicating face-to-face or by telephone, post, email text or social media. They may often be the first point of contact within the organisation and their actions will influence customer experience and satisfaction, therefore they will need to demonstrate excellent customer service skills and product/ service knowledge. They must provide customer service in line with the organisation’s standards and strategy and operate within appropriate regulatory requirements and guidelines. Contact with customers may be on a one-off or routine basis and can include dealing with orders and payments, offering advice, guidance and support, meet-and-greet, sales, fixing problems, aftercare, service recovery or gaining insight through measuring customer satisfaction.
CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
KNOWLEDGE
Apprentices will develop knowledge of: • Knowing customers: Understand who customers are. Understand the difference between internal and external customers.
Understand the different needs and priorities of customers and the best way to manage their expectations, recognising and knowing how to adapt style to be highly effective. • Understanding the organisation: Know the purpose of the business and what ‘brand promise’ means Know the organisation’s core values and how they link to the service culture. Know the internal policies and procedures, including any complaints processes and digital media policies that are relevant to them and the organisation. • Meeting regulations and legislation: Know
the appropriate legislation and regulatory requirements that affect the business. Know their responsibility in relation to this and how to apply it when delivering service. • Systems and resources: Know how to use systems, equipment and technology to meet the needs of customers. Understand types of measurement and evaluation tools available to monitor customer service levels. • Role and responsibility: Understand their role and responsibility within the organisation and the impact of their actions on others. Know the targets and goals they need to deliver against. • Customer experience: Understand how establishing the facts enable them to create a customer-focused experience and appropriate response. Understand how to build trust with a customer and why this is important. • Product and service knowledge: Understand the products or services that are available from your organisation and keep up to date.
SKILLS
Apprentices will develop skills in: • Interpersonal skills: Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery. • Communication: Depending on the job role and work environment use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-toface communications. • Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions. Use an appropriate tone of voice in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand. • Influencing skills: Provide clear explanations
and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and organisation. • Personal organisation: Be able to organise self, prioritise own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines. • Dealing with customer conflict and chaslenge: Demonstrate patience and calmness. Show they understand the customer’s point of view. Use appropriate signposting or resolution to meet customers’ needs and manage expectations. Maintain informative communication during service recovery.
BEHAVIOUR
Apprentices will demonstrate the following behaviours: • Developing self: Take ownership for keeping their service knowledge and skills up to date. Consider personal goals and propose development that would help achieve them. • Being open to feedback: Act on and seek feedback from others to develop or maintain personal service skills and knowledge. • Teamworking: Frequently and consistently communicate and work with others in the interest of helping customers efficiently.
Share personal learning and case studies with others, presenting recommendations, and improvement to support good practice. • Equality: Treat customers as individuals to provide a personalised customer service experience. Uphold the organisation’s core values and service culture through their actions. • Presentation: Demonstrate personal pride in the job through appropriate dress and positive and confident language. • ‘Right first time’ Use communication behaviours that establish clearly what each customer requires and manage their expectations. Take ownership from the first contact and then take responsibility for fulfilling their promise.
SUMMARY
Qualification Level Length Delivery model
Entry requirements
Maths and English
Apprentice support and assessment
Progression
Employer support
Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 2 12 months (excluding end point assessment) Workplace-based with attendance at college sessions to develop required knowledge skills and behaviours. The selection process will include a basic initial assessment and an interview during which suitability, commitment and interest for the programme will be determined. Apprentices without Level 1 (or equivalent) in English and/ or maths must achieve thIs level and take the test for Level 2 prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the minimum requirement for English and maths is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for those whom this is their primary language. Throughout the programme the apprentice will receive expert training from highly qualified staff A qualified assessor will provide an induction and regular workplace assessments With experience, you could progress to team leader or customer services manager. You could also move into sales or account handling. A dedicated account manager will guide and support employers throughout the programme.
CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST - ST0071
Role profile
Customer service specialists work in a wide range of sectors and organisations and provide direct customer support, being a referral point for dealing with more complex or technical customer requests, complaints, and queries, or an escalation point for complicated or ongoing customer problems. They are experts in the organisation’s products and/or services, share knowledge with their wider team and colleagues, gather and analyse data and customer information that influences change and improvements in service, and use organisational and generic IT systems to carry out their role with an awareness of other digital technologies.
CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
KNOWLEDGE
Apprentices will develop knowledge of: • Business understanding: Understand what continuous improvement means in a service environment and how your recommendations for change impact your organisation.
Understand the impact their service provision has on the wider organisation and the value it adds. Understand the organisation’s current business strategy in relation to customers and make recommendations for its future. Understand the principles and benefits of being able to think about the future when taking action or making service-related decisions.
Understand a range of leadership styles and apply them successfully in a customer service environment. • Customer journey: Understand and critically evaluate the possible journeys of customers, including challenges and the end-to-end experience. Understand the reasons why customer issues and complex situations sometimes need referral or escalation for specialist attention. Understand the underpinning business processes that support them in bringing about the best outcome for customers and the organisation.
Understand commercial factors and authority limits for delivering the required customer experience. • Knowing customers and their needs/ customer insight: Know their internal and external customers and how their behaviour may require different approaches.
Understand how to analyse, use and present a range of information to provide customer insight. Understand what drives loyalty, retention and satisfaction and how they impact on your organisation. Understand different customer types and the role of emotions in bringing about a successful outcome. Understand how customer expectations can differ between cultures, ages and social profiles. • Customer service culture and environment awareness: Keep current, knowledge and understanding of regulatory considerations, drivers and impacts in relation to how they deliver for customers. Understand the business environment and culture and the position of customer service within it.
Understand the organisation structure and what role each department needs to play in delivering customer service and what the consequences are should things go wrong.
Understand how to find and use industry best practice to enhance own knowledge.
SKILLS
Apprentices will develop skills in: • Business-focused service delivery:
Demonstrate a continuous improvement and future focussed approach to customer service delivery including decision making and providing recommendations or advice.
Resolve complex issues by being able to
choose from and successfully apply a wide range of approaches. Find solutions that meet the organisation’s needs as well as the customer requirements. • Providing a positive customer experience:
Negotiate mutually beneficial outcomes through through advanced questioning, listening and summarising. Manage challenging and complicated situations within their level of authority and make recommendations to enable and deliver change to service or strategy. Use clear explanations, provide options and solutions to influence and help customers make choices and agree next steps. Explore and interpret the customer experience to inform and influence achieving a positive result for customer satisfaction. Demonstrate a costconscious mind-set when meeting customer and the business needs. Identify where highs and lows of the customer journey produce a range of emotions in the customer. Use written and verbal communication to simplify and provide complex information in a way that supports positive customer outcomes in the relevant format. • Working with your customers / customer insights: Proactively gather customer feedback, through a variety of methods.
Critically analyse and evaluate the meaning, implication and facts and act upon it. Analyse customer types, to identify or anticipate their potential needs and expectations when providing a service. • Customer service performance: Maintain a positive relationship even when they are unable to deliver the customer’s expected outcome. When managing referrals or escalations take into account historical interactions and challenges to determine next steps. • Service improvement: Analyse the end to end service experience, seeking input from others where required, supporting development of solutions. Make recommendations based on their findings to enable improvement. Make recommendations and implement where possible, changes in line with new and relevant legislation, regulations and industry best practice.
BEHAVIOUR
Apprentices will demonstrate the following behaviours: • Develop self: Proactively keep their service, industry and best practice knowledge and skills up to date. Consider personal goals related to service and take action towards achieving them. • Ownership/responsibility: Commit to and take ownership for actions to resolve customer issues to the satisfaction of the customer and the organisation. Exercise proactivity and creativity when identifying solutions to customer and organisational issues. Make realistic promises and deliver on them. • Team working: Work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues at all levels to achieve results. Recognise colleagues as internal customers. Share knowledge and experience with others to support colleague development. • Equality: Adopt a positive and enthusiastic attitude being open minded and able to tailor their service to each customer. Be adaptable and flexible to customer needs whilst continuing to work within the agreed customer service environment. • Presentation: Demonstrate brand advocacy, values and belief when dealing with customer requests to build trust, credibility and satisfaction. Ensure their personal presentation, in all forms of communication, reflects positively on the organisation’s brand.
SUMMARY
Qualification Level
Customer Service Specialist Level 3 3
Length Delivery model
Minimum 15 months, depending on experience. Workplace-based with attendance at college sessions to develop required knowledge skills and behaviours.
Entry requirements
Maths and English
Entry requirements will be set by the individual organisation. Employers are more likely to select individuals with more advanced inter-personal skills, and experience of working with customers in some capacity. Apprentices without Level 1 (or equivalent) in English and/ or maths must achieve this level and take the test for Level 2 prior to taking the end point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the minimum English and maths requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for those for whom this is their primary language. Apprentice support and Throughout the programme the apprentice will receive assessment expert training from highly qualified staff A qualified assessor will provide an induction and regular workplace assessments Professional body recognition Completion of this apprenticeship will lead to eligibility to join the Institute of Customer Service as an Individual Member.
Employer support
A dedicated account manager will guide and support employers throughout the programme.
DIGITAL MARKETER - ST0122 Sales and Marketing Pathway
Role profile
The primary role of a digital marketer is to define, design, build and implement digital campaigns across a variety of online and social media platforms to drive customer acquisition, customer engagement and customer retention. A digital marketer will typically be working as part of a team, in which they will have responsibility for some of the straightforward elements of the overall marketing plan or campaign. They will work to marketing briefs and instructions and will normally report to a digital marketing manager, a marketing manager or an IT Manager. Typical job roles include digital marketing assistant, digital marketing executive, digital marketing co-ordinator, campaign executive, social media executive, content co-ordinator, email marketing assistant, SEO executive, analytics executive, digital marketing technologist.
Apprentices will develop knowledge and understanding of: • Principles of coding • Applying basic marketing principles • Applying the customer lifecycle • Role of customer relationship marketing • How teams work effectively to deliver digital marketing campaigns and demonstrates they can deliver accordingly • Main components of digital and social media strategies • Principles of the following specialist areas: search marketing, search engine optimisation, e mail marketing, web analytics and metrics, mobile apps and pay-per-click and how these can work together • Similarities and differences, including
positives and negatives, of all the major digital and social media platforms • Responding to the business environment and business issues related to digital marketing and customer needs • Digital etiquette and demonstrates how to follow it • How digital platforms integrate into the working environment • Following the required security levels necessary to protect data across digital and social media platforms
SKILLS
Apprentices will develop a range of required technical competencies • Written communication: applies a good level of written communication skills for a range of audiences and digital platforms and with regard to the sensitivity of communication. • Research: analyses and contributes information on the digital environment to inform short- and long-term digital communications strategies and campaigns. • Technologies: recommends and applies effective, secure and appropriate solutions using a wide variety of digital technologies and tools over a range of platforms and user interfaces to achieve marketing objectives. • Data: reviews, monitors and analyses online activity and provides recommendations and insights to others. • Customer service: responds efficiently to enquiries using online and social media platforms. • Problem-solving: applies structured techniques to problem solving, and analyses problems and resolves issues across a variety of digital platforms. • Analysis: understands and creates basic analytical dashboards using appropriate digital tools • Implementation: builds and implements digital campaigns across a variety of digital
media platforms. Applies at least two of the following specialist areas: search marketing, search engine optimisation, e mail marketing, web analytics and metrics, mobile apps and pay-per-click. • Digital analytics: measures and evaluates the success of digital marketing activities • Interprets and follows latest developments in digital media technologies and trends, marketing briefs and plans. company defined
‘customer standards’ or industry good practice for marketing, company, team or client approaches to continuous integration. • Uses digital tools effectively • Can operate effectively in their own business’s, their customers’ and the industry’s environments.
BEHAVIOURS
Apprentices will demonstrate the following behaviours: • Logical and creative thinking skills • Analytical and problem-solving skills • Ability to work independently and to take responsibility • Can use own initiative • A thorough and organised approach • Ability to work with a range of internal and external people • Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of situations • Maintain productive, professional and secure working environment
SUMMARY
Qualification Level Length
Delivery model
Entry requirements
Maths and English
Apprentice support and assessment
Digital Marketer Level 3 3 The duration of this apprenticeship is typically 18 months (not including the end point assessment period) Workplace-based with day release to attend college sessions to develop required skills, knowledge and behaviours Set by individual employer, but may include GCSEs, A Levels, Level 2 apprenticeship or other relevant qualifications, relevant experience and/or an aptitude test with a focus on functional maths. Employers are likely to be looking for a proven passion for digital and social media. Apprentices without Level 1 (or equivalent) in English and maths must ensure that they apprentices achieve this level and take the test for Level 2 prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for those for whom this is their primary language. Throughout the programme the apprentice will receive expert training from highly qualified staff. A qualified assessor will provide an induction and regular workplace assessments.
Progression Apprenticeships are a key entry point to the significant career opportunities that the digital industry sector can provide. The Register of IT Technicians, managed by BCS, provides independent recognition that completing an apprenticeship is the beginning of a career in the IT profession. Apprentices completing this programme will be eligible to apply for a place on the independent Register of IT Technicians, providing recognition of their competence in applying technical skills in a business environment whilst signing up to a professional code of conduct and behaviours. This confirms SFIA professional competence. A place on the Register acknowledges that those achieving these standards have joined the professional community, and opens the door to the continued support, career development and guidance that professional bodies provide. Professional body recognition Completion of the apprenticeship would also allow access to join as an Affiliate (Professional) member of the CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing). Professional body involvement and recognition in the development of the standards and the approach to assessment is a further, independent, check on quality assurance both for the apprenticeships delivered against the standards and an individual’s assessment against them.
Employer support
A dedicated account manager will guide and support employers throughout the programme.
OPERATIONS/DEPARTMENTAL MANAGER – ST0385
Role profile
An operations/departmental manager manages teams and/or projects achieving operational or departmental goals and objectives as part of the delivery of the organisation’s strategy. The role can be found in the private, public or third sector and in all sizes of organisation and key responsibilities may include creating and delivering operational plans, managing projects, leading and managing teams, managing change, financial and resource management, talent management, coaching and mentoring. Operations/departmental managers are accountable to a more senior manager or business owner and whilst specific responsibilities and job titles will vary, the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same. Typical job roles include operations manager, regional manager, divisional manager, department Manager and specialist managers.
CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
KNOWLEDGE
Apprentices will develop knowledge and understanding of a range of factors necessary for the business environment.
Organisational Performance – delivering results: • Operational Management: Understanding operational management approaches and models, including creating plans to deliver objectives and setting KPIs.
Understand business development tools (eg SWOT), and approaches to continuous improvement. Understanding operational business planning techniques, including how to manage resources, development of sales and marketing plans, setting targets and monitoring performance. Knowledge of management systems, processes and
contingency planning. Understanding how to initiate and manage change by identifying barriers and know how to overcome them. Understanding data security and management, and the effective use of technology in an organisation. • Project Management: Knowing how to set up and manage a project using relevant tools and techniques and understanding process management. Understanding approaches to risk management. • Finance: Understanding business finance: how to manage budgets, and financial forecasting.
Interpersonal Excellence – managing people and developing relationships: • Leading People: Understanding different leadership styles, how to lead multiple and remote teams and manage team leaders. Know how to motivate and improve performance, supporting people using coaching and mentoring approaches.
Understanding organisational cultures and diversity and their impact on leading and managing change. Knowing how to delegate effectively. • Managing People: Knowing how to manage multiple teams and develop high performing teams. Understanding performance management techniques, talent management models and how to recruit and develop people. • Building Relationships: Understanding approaches to partner, stakeholder and supplier relationship management including negotiation, influencing, and effective networking. Knowledge of collaborative working techniques to enable delivery through others and how to share best practice. Knowing how to manage conflict at all levels. • Communication: Understanding
interpersonal skills and different forms of communication and techniques (verbal, written, non-verbal, digital) and how to apply them appropriately. • Personal Effectiveness – managing self • Self –Awareness: Understanding own impact and emotional intelligence. Understanding different and learning and behaviour styles. • Management of Self: Understanding time management techniques and tools, and how to prioritise activities and the use of different approaches to planning, including managing multiple tasks. • Decision Making: Understanding problem solving and decision-making techniques, including data analysis. Understanding organisational values and ethics and their impact on decision making.
SKILLS
Apprentices will acquire a range of skills and demonstrate them through continuous professional development.
Organisational Performance – delivering results • Operational Management: Able to input into strategic planning and create plans in line with organisational objectives. Support, manage and communicate change by identifying barriers and overcoming them.
Demonstrate commercial awareness, and able to identify and shape new opportunities.
Creation and delivery of operational plans, including setting KPIs, monitoring performance against plans. Producing reports, providing management information based on the collation, analysis and interpretation of data. • Project Management: Plan, organise and manage resources to deliver required outcomes. Monitor progress and identify risk and their mitigation. Able to use relevant project management tools. • Finance: Able to monitor budgets and provide reports and consider financial implications of decisions and adjust approach/recommendations accordingly.
Interpersonal Excellence – managing people and developing relationships • Leading People: Able to communicate organisational vision and goals and how these to apply to teams. Support development through coaching and mentoring and enable and support high performance working. Able to support the management of change within the organisation. • Managing People: Able to manage talent and performance. Develop, build and motivate teams by identifying their strengths and enabling development within the workplace.
Able to delegate and enable delivery though others. • Building Relationships: Able to build trust and use effective negotiation and influencing skills and manage conflict. Able to identify and share good practice and work collaboratively with others both inside and outside of the organisation. Use of specialist advice and support to deliver against plans. • Communication: Able to communicate effectively (verbal, non-verbal, written, digital) and be flexible in communication style. Able to chair meetings and present using a range of media. Use of active listening, and able to challenge and give constructive feedback.
Personal Effectiveness – managing self • Self-Awareness: Able to reflect on own performance, working style and its impact on others. • Management of Self: Able to create a personal development plan. Use of time management and prioritisation techniques.
• Decision Making: Able to undertake critical analysis and evaluation to support decision making Use of effective problem-solving techniques
BEHAVIOURS:
The apprentice will demonstrate a range of behaviours required in the workplace: • Takes responsibility: Drive to achieve in all aspects of work. Demonstrates resilience and accountability. Determination when managing difficult situations. Seeks new opportunities. Inclusive Open, approachable, authentic, and able to build trust with others. Seeks the views of others and values diversity. • Agile: Flexible to the needs of the organisation. Is creative, innovative and enterprising when seeking solutions to business needs. Positive and adaptable, responding well to feedback and need for change. Open to new ways of working. • Professionalism: Sets an example, and is fair, consistent and impartial. Open and honest.
Operates within organisational values.
SUMMARY
Qualification
Level Length
Delivery model
Entry requirements
Maths and English
Apprentice support and assessment
Progression
Employer support
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Diploma in Leadership and Management (Level 5) 5 24-30 months (not including the end point assessment period of approximately three months). In the workplace with 20% off-the-job training Roll-on-roll-off Entry requirements will be determined by individual employers but may typically be five GCSEs at grade C or above. Apprentices without Level 2 maths and/or English will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end point assessment. Throughout the programme the apprentice will receive expert training from highly qualified staff A qualified assessor will provide an induction and regular workplace assessments On completion, apprentices can register as full members with the Chartered Management Institute and/or the Institute of Leadership & Management, and those with three years’ of management experience can apply for Chartered Manager status through the CMI. A dedicated account manager will guide and support employers throughout the programme
TEAM LEADER / SUPERVISOR - ST0384
Role profile
A team leader/supervisor manages teams and projects and provides direction, instructions and guidance to ensure the achievement of a private, public or voluntary organisation’s set goals. This is a first-line management role, with operational/project responsibilities or responsibility for managing a team to deliver a clearly defined outcome. Working in the private, public or third sector, and in all sizes of organisation, specific responsibilities will vary, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same whatever the role. Key responsibilities are likely to include supporting, managing and developing team members, managing projects, planning and monitoring workloads and resources, delivering operational plans, resolving problems, and building relationships internally and externally. Roles/occupations may include supervisor, team leader, project officer, shift supervisor, foreperson, and shift manager.
CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
KNOWLEDGE
Apprentices will develop required knowledge and understanding of:
Interpersonal excellence – managing people and developing relationships • Leading People: Understand different leadership styles and the benefits of coaching to support people and improve performance. Understand organisational cultures, equality, diversity and inclusion. • Managing People: Understand people and team management models, including team dynamics and motivation techniques. Understand HR systems and legal requirements, and performance
management techniques including setting goals and objectives, conducting appraisals, reviewing performance, absence management, providing constructive feedback, and recognising achievement and good behaviour. • Building Relationships: Understand approaches to customer and stakeholder relationship management, including emotional intelligence and managing conflict.
Know how to facilitate cross team working to support delivery of organisational objectives. • Communication: Understand different forms of communication and their application.
Know how to chair meetings, hold challenging conversations, provide constructive feedback and understand how to raise concerns.
Organisational Performance - delivering results • Operational Management: Understand how organisational strategy is developed. Know how to implement operational/team plans and manage resources and approaches to managing change within the team.
Understand data management, and the use of different technologies in business. • Project Management: Understand the project lifecycle and roles. Know how to deliver a project including: managing resources, identifying risks and issues, using relevant project management tools. • Finance: Understand organisational governance and compliance, and how to deliver value for money. Know how to monitor budgets to ensure efficiencies and that costs do not overrun.
Personal Effectiveness – managing self • Awareness of self - Know how to be selfaware and understand unconscious bias and inclusivity. Understand learning styles, feedback mechanisms and how to use emotional intelligence.
• Management of self - Understand time management techniques and tools, and how to prioritise activities and approaches to planning. • Decision-making - Understand problem solving and decision-making techniques, and how to analyse data to support decision making.
SKILLS
Apprentices will develop required skills in:
Interpersonal excellence – managing people and developing relationships • Leading People: Able to communicate organisation strategy and team purpose and adapt style to suit the audience. Support the development of the team and people through coaching, role modelling values and behaviours, and managing change effectively. • Managing People: Able to build a highperforming team by supporting and developing individuals and motivating them to achieve. Able to set operational and personal goals and objectives and monitor progress, providing clear guidance and feedback. • Building Relationships: Building trust with and across the team, using effective negotiation and influencing skills, and managing any conflicts. Able to input to discussions and provide feedback (to team and more widely) and identify and share good practice across teams. Building relationships with customers and managing these effectively. • Communication: Able to communicate effectively (verbal, written, digital), chair meetings and present to team and management. Use of active listening and provision of constructive feedback. • Operational Management: Able to communicate organisational strategy and deliver against operational plans, translating goals into deliverable actions for the team, and monitoring outcomes. Able to adapt to change, identifying challenges and solutions.
Ability to organise, prioritise and allocate work, and effectively use resources. Able to collate and analyse data and create reports. • Project Management: Able to organise, manage resources and risk, and monitor progress to deliver against the project plan.
Ability to use relevant project management tools and take corrective action to ensure successful project delivery. • Finance: Applying organisational governance and compliance requirements to ensure effective budget controls.
Personal Effectiveness – managing self • Self-awareness: Able to reflect on own performance, seek feedback, understand why things happen, and make timely changes by applying learning from feedback received. • Management of self: Able to create an effective personal development plan, and use time management techniques to manage workload and pressure. • Decision-making: Use of effective problemsolving techniques to make decisions relating to delivery using information from the team and others, and able to escalate issues when required.
BEHAVIOURS
Apprentices will develop and exhibit required workplace behaviours: • Take responsibility: Drive to achieve in all aspects of work. Demonstrates resilience and accountability. Determination when managing difficult situations. • Inclusive: Open, approachable, authentic, and able to build trust with others. Seeks views of others.
• Agile: Flexible to the needs of the organisation. Is creative, innovative and enterprising when seeking solutions to business needs. Positive and adaptable, responds well to feedback and need for change. • Professionalism: Sets an example, and is fair, consistent and impartial. Open and honest.
Operates within organisational values.
