Apprentice - Recycling and Waste Service

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

We are seeking an apprentice to join our [Recycling and Waste Team]. The [Recycling and Waste Service] are responsible for providing all waste collection and disposal services for North Somerset, promoting waste minimisation projects and deal with street cleansing and fly tipping.

In this role, you will provide essential technical administrative support, undertaking a range of tasks including maintaining, developing and implementing key admin tasks and data processing and helping our team deal with the wide variety of queries and requests that we receive on a daily basis. In addition, you will learn about recycling and waste collection within North Somerset and achieve a nationally recognised qualification.

Key Responsibilities:

• Respond to customer enquiries from a wide variety of sources
• Be responsible for maintaining effective digital information systems
• Support technical officers to complete various waste projects
• Complete a NVQ in Business Administration at Level 3
• Contribute to the organisation of waste minimisation events

This position is currently based at our Castlewood offices in Clevedon. Please be advised that this office will be closing in 2025. Consultation is currently underway to determine the new location for colleagues based in Castlewood. This will be at Weston-super-Mare or within North Somerset.

This role is Fixed term for 18 months from the start date.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 2-3 days in the office
• Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
• Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about minimising the waste we produce, and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

• Ability to learn processes and systems
• Demonstrate initiative and ability to contribute to projects
• GCSE Level 4 in Maths and English
• Be willing to undertake a Level 3 qualification in Business Administration

Desirable Criteria:

• A general knowledge of the impact waste has on the environment

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet .

How to Apply

If you share our vision and values and are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact [Paul Davies, Recycling and Waste Compliance Manager at paul.davies@n-somerset.gov.uk or 07557 849829

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: Wednesday 23rd April

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.