DE&S Business Administration Apprenticeship Scheme
If you’re considering a career in business support, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) offers you an opportunity like no other. The Business Administration Apprenticeship Scheme offers the chance to develop your skills through hands on learning and training, including working towards your professional qualification.
Corporate Services Group (CSG)
When you come to DE&S, you’re joining a team that helps protect people all over the UK – and overseas too. We do that by providing cutting-edge tech, vehicles and equipment to the Armed Forces. Whether it’s the latest protective clothing for soldiers, or the smartest radar for new RAF jets, our projects keep UK military colleagues safe, so that they can protect life at home.
To do that, we need a real wealth of people from every background and skillset – all working together every day to do our best work.
Corporate Services utilises the expertise of eight specialisms (plus five sub-specialisms) that collectively enables the operational day to day running of the business. They are the ‘corporate glue’ that ensures DE&S delivers its objectives and maintains compliance with the requirements of being part of a Department of State.
Read more about the Corporate Services Group
The scheme
The DE&S Business Administration Apprenticeship Scheme is an 18-month development programme within the Corporate Services Group function focused around Business Administration roles across different areas of DE&S.
As a Business Administration Apprentice at DE&S, you will gain work experience and develop a wide range of skills by rotating through a range of challenging and stimulating work placements across DE&S Business Support roles. At the same time, you will undertake academic training, so that, upon scheme completion, you will achieve a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Business Administration, a nationally recognised qualification. You will achieve this through a blend of face-to-face, virtual tuition and e-learning and you will also be assigned a dedicated Talent Coach who will support you throughout the programme.
The academic portion of the apprenticeship includes study in the following areas:
- Understanding Organisations
- Personal and professional development
- Problem solving and decision making
- Effective communication
- Business documentation
Your hands-on experience will also be underpinned by MOD/DE&S specific training.
Professional qualification
You’ll study towards achieving a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Business Administration, a nationally recognised qualification.
End of scheme
On successful completion of the scheme, you can expect to be placed into a permanent job at Administrator/Specialist level, typically working with a range of contacts inside and outside of DE&S to enable the operational day-to-day running of our business and ensuring compliance with the requirements of being part of a Department of State.
Entry requirements
- Candidates must have or be studying to attain a minimum of 5 GCSE’s A – C or Grades 4 – 9 (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics by August 2023.
- Please note: Prospective applicants who already have obtained an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or higher are not eligible for this apprenticeship.
Help and support
There’s plenty of support available on this apprenticeship. You’ll have:
- A dedicated Scheme Manager who will be responsible for coordinating your professional training and development
- A Placement Supervisor who will oversee your day-to-day management and provide on the job development opportunities
- An experienced college skills coach to provide support throughout your academic learning journey
- Additional training opportunities to enhance your learning further
Selection process
When applying, you’ll complete an initial online application and be required to undertake an online numerical, verbal and Civil Service judgement test.
If you pass all tests, you’ll then complete a full application and upload your CV (please note the specific CV requirements on the job advert).
Finally, the top scoring candidates will be invited to an assessment centre in Bristol.
This scheme is due to open in late 2023.
Benefits and discounts
We truly believe that DE&S is a great place to work, and we offer a unique experience for our graduates and apprentices.
We want to ensure that every single employee feels appreciated and fairly rewarded and being part of the Civil Service allows to offer a very unique and attractive benefits package including discounts on cinema tickets, sport and leisure and your weekly shop.
Discover all the ways we can help you make life easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Should you require support with the application process or require any technical assistance please contact the DBS team on 0800 345 7772.
A provisional offer informs you that you have been successful at interview subject to pre-employment checks. At this stage we will initiate the necessary pre-employment checks, such as security clearance and medical questionnaires. If you are an external candidate, you are strongly advised not to give notice to your current employer until pre-employment checks have successfully been concluded.
Your provisional offer will inform you of the pre-employment checks. The security checks, which are undertaken by National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency, usually take the longest to complete so you will be invited to commence this aspect once you have been informed that you have completed your interview, as this reduces delays. An invitation to begin the security clearance process is not a guarantee that you will be given an offer.
All candidates will be required to undertake security clearances to the level the role requires prior to commencing employment. Assuming the candidate completes their security forms and references are returned in a timely fashion, and that no further checks or documents are required, we would expect the individual to be advised that we are in the position to make a formal offer of employment and start discussions to agree an appropriate starting date.
The Disability Confident scheme aims to help employers make the most of the opportunities provided by employing disabled people. It is voluntary and has been developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives.
DE&S is proud to be Disability Confident Committed.
