We are looking for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Apprenticeships Officer to join our Learning & Development team. In this specialist role, you will help Portsmouth City Council (including maintained schools) and Gosport Borough Council make effective use of their apprenticeship levy—supporting staff development, talent pipelines, and recruitment into critical roles. Working two days a week, you will play a key part in shaping apprenticeship pathways, supporting managers, commissioning high‑quality training, and ensuring our programmes are compliant, cost‑effective, and aligned with organisational needs.

The Role

As our Apprenticeships Officer, you will:

Manage and maintain the Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) accounts, ensuring accurate funding, compliance, and timely approvals.
Support services across the councils to identify suitable apprenticeship standards and training options.
Commission high‑quality training providers through compliant processes, including managing the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and using InTend.
Monitor and evaluate provider performance, escalating concerns and supporting continuous improvement.
Contribute to career pathways, workforce planning, and the use of apprenticeships for hard-to-fill roles.
Provide specialist advice on apprenticeship rules, eligibility, funding, and development routes.
Produce reports, dashboards, and updates for senior leaders and workforce groups.
Support the wider apprenticeship agenda in Portsmouth, including outreach activity and National Apprenticeship Week events.

This is a rewarding opportunity to directly influence development, capacity, and recruitment within our workforce and wider community.

The ideal candidate

You will have/be:

An understanding of how apprenticeships support workforce development, ideally within a local government setting.
Experience in HR, education, training, or workforce development.
Ability to coordinate projects and solve complex issues logically.
Experience producing clear written reports and interpreting data.
A confident communicator, able to advise managers and present information clearly.
Strong IT skills, especially Microsoft Office and web-based systems (e.g., DAS, procurement portals).
Analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to work to budgets.
Ability to influence, negotiate, and build productive relationships.
Capable of working flexibly within a small team and independently using sound judgment.
Relevant experience in apprenticeships, L&D, education, workforce development, or equivalent practical knowledge.
Experience supporting learners or employees (e.g., coaching, mentoring, guidance).
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
High attention to detail, particularly around compliance and funding.
Commitment to continuous learning and staying up‑to‑date with apprenticeship policy.

Please ensure that you download and read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention to the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act. We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Hybrid Working - The working pattern will be agreed with the successful candidate; however, for service continuity this is expected to be delivered across two set working days per week and can include travel to sites.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion: If you have any questions, or would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Anna Salmon - anna.salmon@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or Kate Brady - kate.brady@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Interview date: 16th & 17th April 2026

Application process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under our corporate commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.

Portsmouth City Council

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Apprenticeships Officer