An apprenticeship is a qualification that combines learning and practical on the job training.
You apply your learning to your work, and you're assessed throughout your apprenticeship.
They're for anyone of any age, including employees who want professional development or career progression in their current area of work.
If you do an apprenticeship at the council, you'll keep your current contract so your salary and terms and conditions will stay the same.
There are a wide range of apprenticeships available, for example if you want to develop your management skills, you can apply for the following courses:
- Team Leader/Supervisor (level 3) and Operational Management (level 5) to learn how to manage teams and projects to meet organisational goals
- Coaching Professional (level 5) to become an accredited coaching professional, working with a wide range of individuals and teams across organisations, to empower and engage with them to enhance their professional performance
- Associate Project Manager (level 4) to gain experience in managing project work and teams for businesses and other organisations
There are also a number of housing specific courses, to help you progress within the housing industry, such as:
- Senior Housing and Property Management (Level 4) to progress to senior managerial and professional roles within the housing and property sector
- Housing and Property Management (level 3) which prepares an individual for a range of general housing and property management duties leading to operational or specialist roles
- Surveying Technician (Level 3) to become a chartered surveyor
- Data technician (Level 3) to progress as a data analyst or technician
A secondment is a move to another role within or outside the council, for a temporary period. This could be in the same or a different department, and at a lower, equal or higher grade depending on the role.
Anyone can apply for a secondment, and they provide a fantastic opportunity to develop new skills and experience of working in a different service.
Our Learning Hub portal offers a huge range of e-learning opportunities, from tips and tools to grow your career, to digital skills, wellbeing, safeguarding, climate and sustainability.
Anyone can sign up to complete a course and gain a digital badge upon completion. It is an opportunity to learn at your own pace and enhance your knowledge in areas relevant to your role or interests.
There are lots of mentoring opportunities, which empower and encourage you to identify and solve your own problems.
Traditional mentoring allows you to benefit from the experience of a senior and more experienced person.
Reverse mentoring involves senior managers being mentored by front-line employees, in order to get closer to the realities of service delivery and the experience of our service users.
Developmental mentoring, is a peer relationship, where the mentor and mentee are more or less equal in status and experience, giving you the opportunities to have someone to question and listen to you, and reflect and summarise.
Our Disabled Colleague Network also run their own mentoring scheme, aimed at supporting disabled colleagues with career progression and development.
The main outcome of work shadowing is an increased knowledge of an area of work or role that you might be considering in the future. It will help you gain an understanding of the workplace and how the role you're interested in fits in with, and supports, the wider business.
When shadowing, you may spend time observing the work of your host, watching what they do on a day-to-day basis, receive mini briefings before and following meetings, and carry out some tasks under their supervision.
Stepping Up aims to unlock potential and develop talent while ensuring a fair representation of BAME, disabled people and women in positions of leadership.
The programme has achieved remarkable outcomes in the acceleration of career development and enhancing civic leadership.
Participants have access to a career Passport, global virtual mentoring, stretch assignment based on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and a world class virtual learning platform.
Find out more about Stepping Up.
Depending on your role and experience, you may also have access to varied internally and externally led training sessions, from recruitment and retention training, mental first aid training and cultural intelligence training.
These sessions are designed to help colleagues foster a more inclusive and diverse environment, in line with our organisational values.