Personal Assistant (Career-Entry Apprenticeship) - 12374

Are you looking for a change of career or to make the first step into an administration role?
Are you committed to learning new skills and gaining new experiences?
This is an incredible apprenticeship opportunity to work towards and gain a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. This means you will be working in full time employment, gaining experience and working towards your qualification at the same time.
During the apprenticeship you will cover topics such as problem solving, decision making, effective communication, administrative processes and working with stakeholders.
Personal assistant (PA) careers are diverse and you will play a pivotal role in helping directors or deputy directors make best use of their time through administrative support. PA roles can range from organising diaries, note-taking and scheduling meetings to setting up conferences and arranging travel. You can also expect to answer phone calls and send emails on behalf of others. By working so closely with the management team, you will not only learn so much about the Environment Agency but you will also play such an important role and gain so much experience in helping to run a business. You can expect to enjoy a busy but varied day.

Environment Agency protects and improves the environment. Acting to reduce the impacts of a changing climate on people and wildlife is at the heart of everything we do.
The Research, Analysis and Evaluation team, which you will be joining, leads on science research and development. We provide professional science advice and drive technological innovation to improve the quality of the evidence underpinning corporate strategies and policies.

You will be responsible for completing your apprenticeship coursework on time, maintaining up to date evidence for your assessments and putting into practice what you’re learning by continuing to do your day job.
In short you will be expected to work hard. However, you will benefit from having support and mentoring at work as well as the opportunity to access a wealth of other learning and development available through our Learning Zone.
Key skills required:
• well organised with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
• good attention to detail
• good written and verbal communication skills
• enthusiastic with a positive attitude
• able to work collaboratively with a variety of people
• motivated to achieve results and take pride in their work
Previous experience of PA work is not essential. A determination to become excellent at it certainly is. We will help you to achieve it.

The apprenticeship will be delivered through a blended approach of face-to-face, virtual tuition and e-learning with support from a Talent Coach.
To be eligible for this apprenticeship you must:
• have GCSE (Grade A-C) in Maths and English or equivalent
• not hold a similar level qualification/degree, unless this is in a significantly different subject area, as this level of apprenticeship equates to two ‘A’ Levels
• have been a UK resident for 3 years or longer
• be 16 years or above
For more information on Apprenticeship Standards:
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/business-administrator/
The role will be Bristol based with occasional travel. For an informal discussion please contact Aleks Thomas or Candy Hovey RAEDirectorPA@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Drawing on examples from work, school or home describe a time when you communicated effectively in a difficult situation?

Describe an occasion when you have had to deliver a high standard of work under significant time or resource pressure.

Give an example of a time when you have had to work in a team. What did you find challenging by working with others? What successes did you achieve as a team member?