Data Engineer Apprenticeship

Location

Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sheffield

About the job

Summary

We have an amazing opportunity for Data Engineer Apprentices to start an exciting career in data and technology and become a key part of one of the biggest and high profile digital transformation programmes in the world.

Putting the user at the centre of everything we do, our Data Engineers collect, organise and study data to provide business insight. Working on a variety of projects, you will provide technical data solutions to a range of stakeholders and customers.

As a Data Engineer Apprentice you will study towards the Level 4 Data Analyst apprenticeship and combine your job and hands-on experience with virtual learning delivered by our partner provider, Multiverse. This will include one-to-one with tutors and mentors, tutorials, and research projects.

Working with appropriate technologies as a Data Engineer apprentice, you’ll gain the technical expertise to take your career in an exciting new direction. By the end of the apprenticeship you will have achieved an industry-standard qualification and have the skills to progress your career in line with your aspirations.

Please note 2 posts are available in Blackpool or Manchester and 6 posts are available in Blackpool, Leeds, Newcastle or Sheffield.

Job description

We are leading the digital transformation of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – the UK’s biggest government department.

At DWP Digital, you’ll be part of a diverse, vibrant community, where you’ll be empowered to develop your skills and try new things at the cutting-edge of your industry. You can build a stimulating and fulfilling career here, full of interesting challenges and plenty of opportunities to grow.

This is an exciting opportunity to earn as you learn and get hands on practice of data gathering and analysis, while studying towards a Level 4 Data Analyst qualification. You’ll develop crucial skills, knowledge and behaviours for your career and be part of a great team delivering digital applications and services.

As well as being given 20% off the job training to allow you to complete your apprenticeship within your working hours, you’ll be supported by your line manager, skills coach and the data community, as well as fellow apprentices on the programme, so you will have plenty of sources of encouragement to help you succeed. There’s a lot to learn and do, so you need to be ready to be proactive, work hard and participate in the many opportunities you’ll be given to showcase your skills.

This is a fantastic chance to build a data analyst career at DWP and become a highly skilled tech professional.

Responsibilities

As a Data Engineer Apprentice you will work alongside other experienced employees, helping to deliver services to 22 million citizens in the UK.

You will be equipped with advanced technical skills needed for this role. You will ‘discover’, ‘practice’ and ‘apply’ what you’ve learned and put your new found knowledge into action in the workplace. This will include:

• Identify, collect and migrate data to/from a range of internal and external systems.
• Use a range of analytical techniques such as data mining, time series forecasting and modelling techniques to identify and predict trends and patterns in data.
• Assist with data quality checking and cleansing and how to resolve issues.
• Assist production of data visualisation including performance dashboards and reports.
• Summarise and present the results of data analysis to a range of stakeholders 

Qualifications

Please confirm you hold GCSEs in Maths and English at Grade C or above or complete functional skills tests at the beginning of the apprenticeship programme.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Knowledge of Technology and Software

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension.

Salary for this role is £27,565.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

You’ll be based in one of our digital hubs in Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield corporate hub locations. Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.

The Department is committed to promoting flexible ways of working, whilst enabling the business to operate at maximum efficiency and will expect colleagues to work from a blend of locations, including some time working at home, as required. The corporate hub location will be the designated place of work and any remote or home working arrangement does not constitute a change to your designated place of work or contractual Terms and Conditions. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

This may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

See our vetting charter.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1 - Application:

Your application will consist of three parts:

1. A Personal Details application form and eligibility questions:

To be eligible for this apprenticeship you need to meet the following criteria:

• Hold a valid passport or birth certificate or residence permit.
• Have the right to live and work in the UK.
• Lived in the UK and/or EEA for 3 years prior to the apprenticeship start date.
• Not be in full-time education or be undertaking any other apprenticeship or training funded by the government by the apprenticeship start date.
• You must not hold an existing qualification at the same or higher level in a similar subject. For example, Computer Science. This is to ensure you do not have a significant overlap in prior learning and have not covered the same content covered on the apprenticeship already. Please see more information about the programme and requirements here. .
• You must hold GCSEs in Maths and English at Grade C or above or complete functional skills tests at the beginning of the apprenticeship programme.

2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.

3. Personal statement up to 500 words:

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience working with the essential criteria below:

• A passion for data analysis and technology.
• An interest in logic and numbers.
• A methodical mind, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Great communicators who enjoy working, and learning, with others.
• A ‘can-do’ attitude and willingness to learn.

Please also explain your motivation for applying for the Data Engineer apprenticeship.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit our blog Getting Hired at DWP Digital .

Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.

A NOTE ON ANONYMISATION

*Due to DWP’s use of anonymised recruitment practices it is not possible for applicants to upload/attach a CV; any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form. Please ensure you provide sufficient information to enable the sift panel to make an informed judgement about your suitability for this role.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please include all other information that you would customarily provide when presenting a CV/Personal statement, as the sift panel use this information to assess your application.

DWP operates an anonymised recruitment process. When entering information relating to your employment history you will be asked to remove any personal details that could be used to identify you. This relates to name and contact details which might usually appear on your CV/Personal statement. Failure to do so will result in your application being withdrawn.

Stage 2 - Interview:

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the following behaviours and technical skills:

• Working Together (Lead Behaviour).
• Managing a Quality Service.
• Making Effective Decisions.
• Knowledge of Technology and Software-Learn about technologies and gain an understanding of what it involves/how to use them. Become aware of digital technology and has an understanding of what it involves and its impact.

You will be asked to do a short (5 -10 minutes) presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

We expect interviews to be held in early to mid-November.

Following the interviews, any successful candidates and reserve list candidates will be required to complete an eligibility form by the apprenticeship training provider, Multiverse, to ensure they are eligible for the apprenticeship.

Following successful completion of this, we are hoping to make offers in late November and will then begin the necessary onboarding and checks with a target start of mid January 2022.

Reasonable Adjustments:

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Other information:

A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.
You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

If successful but not transferring from another Government Department, in order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.