Managing an Apprentice

Use this guidance while managing your apprentice. Refer to your own departmental HR policies for advice on topics such as reasonable adjustments, annual leave, sick leave and performance in the same way as they apply to other employees on a short-term fixed-term contract.

On this page:

Scheme outline

The apprenticeship is an alternative route to learning, providing a brilliant opportunity for those considering a career change and school leavers to learn and qualify while they work.

Our apprenticeship aims to bring talented people into GCS who would not have previously considered a career in government. The scheme is a development programme and involves having a full-time job, as well as working through the Level 4 Public Relations and Communications Assistant apprenticeship standard.

The apprenticeship programme runs for 18 months, during which participants will experience work in different communications teams across government departments. Their placement must include a rotation in a digital or data team. This will be organised by the business unit in which the apprentice is posted. They will have the chance to be involved and take ownership of their own projects, as well as receive world-class training led by GCS and our apprenticeship training providers – JGA.

The GCS has been awarded the best apprenticeship employer by PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association) for the fourth time. We have held this award from 2021 to 2024. Line Managers are given a rewarding role helping kick-start someone’s career, foster new talent into the profession and work first-hand on our award-winning programme.

Key information

You will need to speak with your apprentice about office working patterns in line with your department’s policy. Discuss travel and location with your apprentice as soon as possible.

This is what managers need to know:

  • ​Duration: Apprentices are brought in on 18-month contracts. This includes 12 months for training delivery and 4 months to complete their End Point Assessment.
  • Study: Apprentices will complete a Level 4 Public Relations and Communications Assistant standard.
  • Off-the-job training: Apprentices need to receive a minimum of 6 hours off the job training per week. This is an equivalent of 20% of the working week.
  • Rotations: Apprentices are required to rotate teams at least once during their 18 months on the apprenticeship. One of these rotations must be into a digital or data team. You must ensure any role the apprentice is placed in will expose them to the knowledge and skills outlined in the standard.
  • Monthly coaching sessions: Line managers are expected to join the last 10 minutes of their apprentice’s monthly coaching sessions with the training provider.
  • Quarterly formal progress reviews: Line managers are expected to attend quarterly formal learner reviews with their apprentice and the training provider.
  • Travel costs: Departments are expected to cover the travel costs for their apprentices should they be required to travel for training.
  • If the apprentice fails any element of their End Point Assessment, the individual department will be required to pay for the resit.

Support from GCS

The People & Membership Team centrally manages the apprenticeship, working with the training provider to ensure learners are on track.

The People & Membership Team at GCS will support apprentice learning by arranging the following activities:

  • GCS Induction
  • Full access to the GCS Academy
  • Full access to a Curriculum by grade

Your role as an apprentice line manager

As a line manager, your role is vital to engage, motivate and stretch the capability of GCS apprentices. Their contribution is a business benefit to the department as well as themselves.

Before your apprentice starts their new role make sure that you:

  • understand the requirements, the apprenticeship standard and requirements of the End Point Assessment 
  • understand what knowledge, skills and behaviours the apprentice is required to demonstrate and ensure these are integrated into their work plan
  • understand the commitment statement which will be issued by the training provider
  • understand the apprentice’s learning plan which will be issued by the training provider
  • be aware of scheduled meetings you are required to attend with the training provider
  • be aware of your apprentice’s training schedule and ensure work activities are worked around this.

Plan their induction

Give your apprentice a full departmental induction over their first four weeks. This should include:

  • an introduction to colleagues and the team
  • an assigned team buddy for day-to-day support
  • A tour of facilities/IT guidance
  • gaining an understanding of the role of their team, the department and how this fits in with GCS
  • explanation of the Civil Service Code, your department’s culture and values, and what is expected of employees
  • completion of health and safety courses on Civil Service Learning
  • completion of GCS mandatory learning
  • subscribe to the GCS Newsletter
  • completion of any departmental mandatory training

When your apprentice is at work

As a line manager your role is to guide them through their placement within the GCS and oversee their day to day activities. Their experience within the department needs to be driven by the apprentices themselves, with your help to shape that experience. The apprentice will need time to study, complete assignments, meet with their skills coach, as well as learn both on and off the job. To help your apprentice:

  • Be aware of their schedule and learning plan, ensure work tasks are built around their schedule
  • Help your apprentice plan their work accordingly
  • Demonstrate enthusiasm about learning, your department and the profession
  • Identify shadowing and other development opportunities, such as taking on projects and attending meetings
  • Encourage them to make most of the GCS Academy and the Civil Service Learning platform
  • Set up a timetable for the first two weeks which sets out the key meetings, and people they can have one-to-ones with. Send invites for these meetings and share calendars.

It is important both you and your apprentice meet the skills coach regularly and meetings are not cancelled, and that you discuss any plans with them that may impact deadlines and agreed timelines. 

Be inclusive

Inclusion is the responsibility of everyone in the workplace and can happen daily in every interaction with your colleagues. You can strive for inclusion by creating an environment where everyone has a sense of belonging, connection and community at work. You can create an inclusive workplace by:

  • Checking if your apprentice has any disabilities as many disabilities are invisible. If yes, ensure adjustments are in place if necessary.
  • Depending on their needs, some colleagues may like video with subtitles, some may prefer a phone call, some may prefer an email with text in a certain size.
  • When you start your conversation, ask each other “What can I do to make our meeting comfortable for you?”
  • Encourage the apprentice to bring their ‘whole self’ to work, and the importance of doing so.
  • Encourage the apprentice to contribute in meetings, drawing on their diverse points of view.
  • Complete the ‘Mental Health at Work’ and ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ course on Civil Service Learning to support your apprentice.
  • Advise your apprentices to consult your departmental intranet to find networks such as faith networks, wellbeing and disability. 

Development and one-to-ones

Developing the apprentice is the responsibility of both the training provider and you as the line manager. It is important to ensure your apprentice gains a good level of insight into the wider GCS profession.

You can help develop your apprentice by:

  • scheduling and maintaining regular one-to-ones with your apprentice separate to their monthly learner review
  • set clear targets, objectives and a development plan for the apprentice and help them to understand how to show their potential
  • adapt any existing or repetitive roles by increasing their responsibility over projects
  • reviewing performance regularly through objectives, departmental probation and performance management systems and reviews
  • encouraging apprentices to complete GCS mandatory learning
  • encouraging your apprentice to access GCS Academy courses and read the relevant guidance on Modern Communications Operating Model.
  • ensure apprentices gain a range of experience in line with the GCS MCOM model by arranging appropriate rotations throughout the department, one of which must be into a digital or data team.

Have at least one career conversation with your apprentice, and consider future opportunities within your team which your apprentice could apply for. You can signpost them to the GCS Career Framework.

Apprentice rotations

We expect all apprentices to rotate teams at least once during their 18 months on the Apprenticeship. One of these rotations must be into a digital or data team. You must ensure any role the apprentice is placed in will expose them to the knowledge and skills outlined in the standard.

When rotating your apprentice you must:

  • Ask for a role description from the new team and be satisfied the role meets the apprenticeship standard.
  • Ensure the team are brought up to speed on your apprentices current learning and performance, outlining what the apprentice needs to focus on in their new placement.
  • Ensure the new team are aware of the apprenticeship timelines, in particular the need to plan a project as part of the End Point Assessment.
  • You should be satisfied that the team will be able to source a project to support the End Point Assessment
  • Consider if you will continue to line manage your apprentice when they move to their new team. If not, you will need to signpost the new apprentice to this webpage, and notify the GCS Apprenticeship Team of new line manager details by emailing gcs-apprenticeship@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
  • Apprentices are required to stay in one team for at least 14 weeks, and should be in their final team at least 3 months before they enter gateway. This ensures they are comfortable with the team who will lead them through their End Point Assessment.

Qualification overview

GCS Apprentices complete the Level 4 Public Relations & Communications Assistant Standard. This apprenticeship standard outlines the knowledge, skills and behaviours that apprentices must demonstrate to be judged competent as a Public Relations Assistant.

At the end of the scheme, apprentices complete an End Point Assessment which consists of  distinct assessment methods:

  1. Project report
  2. Presentation and questioning

The department must be able to provide the apprentice with a project for their End Point Assessment. 

The apprentice cannot start the project until the employer, training provider, the apprentice and the End Point Assessment organisation all agree the apprentice is ready. The skills coach will be able to give you more information on this. 

If the apprentice fails any element of the assessment, the individual department will be required to pay for the resit.

Each learner who successfully completes their apprenticeship will be eligible to apply for membership of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).

Apprenticeship delivery and learning schedule

All training elements of the apprenticeship will be delivered by JGA through seminars and monthly coaching sessions. We are currently reviewing the schedule and method of delivery; all information on this including module dates will be provided directly to line managers by the GCS People & Membership Team.

Off-the-job training

In line with ESFA funding rules rule, apprentices should be given a minimum of 6 hrs or 20% off-the-job training per week (for full time staff) throughout their apprenticeship. This is the equivalent of about 1 day of the working week. Apprentices will be required to keep a record of this which should be reflected in your apprentices’ Workplace Training Plan which will be provided by JGA.

Off-the-job training may include almost any type of managed learning activity, and happens outside of the normal day-to-day working environment. An apprentice’s off-the-job training will include learning resources and activities provided and delivered by JGA, but it can also include learning opportunities that happen naturally within the workplace. The activities should expose apprentices to the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard. You can learn more about off-the-job training on GOV.UK.

Here are some examples of off-the-job training:

  • completing course assignments
  • providing the apprentice with a guided mentor
  • departmental training to develop skills that are related to the apprenticeship
  • providing shadowing opportunities for your apprentice
  • encouraging your apprentice to access GCS Academy courses and webinars (read, watch, do) and read the relevant guidance on Modern Communications Operating Model (MCOM) guidance online
  • encourage your apprentice to access the Civil Service Learning platform.

The training provider will help by:

  • helping you map the objectives of the activity to the criteria published within the apprenticeship standard to ensure it can count
  • helping you to capture the right information from the activity for each apprentice and record the learning within their learning record.

Performance

Line managers are responsible for following up with the apprentices on their assignments, to ensure they progress on the GCS apprenticeship. JGA will also report progress to GCS on a monthly basis, flagging any concerns raised. You will receive communication from JGA if your apprentice has not been attending mandatory workshops or handing in assignments.

If your apprentice is not performing well in the workplace or is not completing their assignments on time, you should flag your concerns with both JGA and GCS. However, it is key to understand that the GCS People & Membership team do not manage performance of individual apprentices centrally. If you find there is a performance management issue with your apprentice, you must follow your department’s performance management policy.

Towards the end of the apprenticeship

Apprentices have been brought into departments through fair and open competition on Fixed Term Appointment contracts. This means they can apply for internal roles following the completion of the scheme. Apprentices should complete their apprenticeship before securing another role, (or demonstrate a strong level of commitment to completing the programme in a timely way) as this can affect progress on the apprenticeship.

We aim for all our apprentices to apply for roles in the GCS upon completion of their apprenticeship, hopefully on promotion to Executive Officer (EO) and Higher Executive Officer (HEO) roles, but we cannot guarantee roles at the end of the apprenticeship.

Line managers can help by: 

  • Identifying relevant vacancies in the department 
  • Encouraging apprentices to complete success profile training
  • Discussing career aspirations in one-to-ones 
  • Helping the apprentice identify their key achievements 
  • Helping the apprentice understand Civil Service behaviours and Success Profiles

Hold an ‘end of placement’ interview

Each time the apprentice moves into a new team during the apprenticeship, you should hold an exit interview and appraise the placement.

Be prepared to feedback to your apprentice on:

  • How well do they think they have met their objectives?
  • What have been their main achievements?
  • What projects have they completed or contributed to?
  • How well have they performed?
  • What are their strengths and weaknesses?
  • What areas of development should they focus on for the future?

This will:

  • Help you identify the benefits the organisation has gained from employing the apprentice and how they have helped to meet the team’s objectives
  • Benefit the apprentice by focusing on what they have achieved and how they have developed themselves – this reflective process will be useful when applying for further employment.

At the end of the apprenticeship:

The GCS People & Membership team will contact the apprentice and ask them to fill out an exit survey. This is very important, so please ensure that your apprentice completes this and submits it back to gcs-apprenticeship@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

As a the department, you should also hold an exit interview.

  • The GCS People & Membership team will contact the apprentice and ask them to fill out an exit survey. This is very important, so please ensure that your apprentice completes this and submits it back to gcs-apprenticeship@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
  • As a the department, you should also hold an exit interview.

Final steps for end of placement:

Useful contacts

Please note, you will be in contact mostly with the Skills Coach from JGA. The People Team will write out to you with key updates and when concerns have been raised. See below a list of contact points you can reach out to during the apprenticeship.

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