Useful information
Ages
16 or over
Sector
Business Support & Customer Service
Level
Level 2
Delivery Method
Workplace
Breakdown of Hours
Apprenticeship delivery/assessment activities are tailored to meet the needs of the employer and apprentice with appointments arranged around your work schedule, however, you will be required to spend at least 6 hrs per week completing mandatory off-the-job training as part of your apprenticeship.
Course Length
12 - 18 Months.
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Course Overview
The role of a customer service practitioner is to deliver high-quality products and services to the customers of their organisation. Your core responsibility will be to provide a high-quality service to customers which will be delivered from the workplace, digitally, or by going out into the customers’ own locality. These may be one-off or routine contacts and include dealing with orders, payments, offering advice, guidance and support, meet-and-greet, sales, fixing problems, aftercare, service recovery or gaining insight through measuring customer satisfaction. You may be the first point of contact and work in any sector or organisation type.
Your actions will influence the customer experience and their satisfaction with your organisation. You will demonstrate excellent customer service skills and behaviours as well as product and/or service knowledge when delivering to your customers. You provide service in line with the organisation’s customer service standards and strategy and within appropriate regulatory requirements. Your customer interactions may cover a wide range of situations and can include; face-to-face, telephone, post, email, text and social media.
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Who is this course for?
An apprenticeship is a great paid work opportunity for people over the age of 16 in England who are:
- Early in their career
- Looking to upskill in their current job
- Looking for a career change
- Not in full-time education
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Course Benefits
Apprenticeships are an exciting paid option for anyone wanting to gain experience, upskill or change career because they offer the chance to earn a wage whilst they work and study.
There are many benefits to completing an apprenticeship:
- Experience and skills development
- A nationally recognised qualification (with no tuition fees)
- Employee benefits and a wage
- Exposure to industry professionals. An apprenticeship is a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experiences.
Alongside on-the-job training, apprentices spend at least 20% of their working hours completing classroom-based learning with a college, university or training provider which leads to a nationally recognised qualification.
An apprenticeship includes:
- Paid employment with holiday leave
- Hands-on-experience in a sector/role of interest
- At least 20% off-the-job training
- Formal assessment which leads to a nationally recognised qualification
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Entry Requirements
- Apprentices without level 1 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to completion of the apprenticeship and will also be required to take the tests for level 2.
- If you are applying for an apprenticeship vacancy, employers will identify any relevant additional entry requirements through selection.
- Have the right to work in England.
- Have an eligible residency status and be living in England. Undertake the Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result prior to starting.
- Already have or be applying for a 35 hour per week job that demonstrates the skills required for this apprenticeship programme.
- To have regular access to a computer which will allow you to access the online portfolio system - OneFile.
- To be able to surf the internet, send and receive emails with attachments, complete written work using a computer (with Microsoft Word) and be generally IT literate.
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Assessment Methods
Apprenticeship standard
(All components must be completed unless the Apprentice has an exemption)
- Portfolio of evidence
- Skills, knowledge and behaviours within the administration
- Endpoint assessment (detailed below)
- 20% Off-the-job training
- Must demonstrate they have the skills in English and Maths up to a level 2
Endpoint Assessment
This Apprenticeship is part of the new standards that have recently come out and now has an endpoint assessment which means the Apprentice needs to complete the following tasks to complete the Apprenticeship. The Apprentice can only take these assessments once the Employer and Training Development Consultant agree they are now competent in the Apprenticeship they are studying, and these End Point Assessments are there to show they are now competent. Your Training and Development Consultant will prepare you for these assessments.
- Multiple choice test online
- Assessment of the portfolio you have been working towards in your Diploma
- Interview with the End Point Assessor based on the portfolio above
- Presentation of work-based project and Q&A
20% Off-the-job Training
Employers are expected to support Apprentices with receiving off-the-job training which needs to be the equivalent of 20% of the expected working hours it will take to complete the Apprenticeship. This can be achieved in many ways and can be delivered by the Employer, training provider or a third party and will depend on what you agree as an employer you want to do.
Here are some of the types of Off-the-job training the Apprentice can have:
- Teaching
- Training on new equipment
- Shadowing or being mentored
- Practical training
- Online learning
- Visiting other departments
- Industry visits
- Simulated exercises
- Assignments
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Qualifications
Level 2 Diploma for Customer Service Practitioner, City & Guilds.
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Career Opportunities and Further Study
Level 3 Customer Service Specialist.
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Location
Delivery will be in the workplace with a Training and Development Consultant visiting you every 2-4 weeks and your employer supporting and providing off-the-job training.
The qualification is delivered at the workplace at a time convenient for the employer and learner.
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Price and Funding
This programme could be fully funded subject to eligibility criteria.
If you wish to pay for this programme the commercial price is £3,500 and you can do it in instalments.
To be eligible for full funding, you must meet the following criteria:
- Must be aged 16 or over
- Must not have previously completed this apprenticeship.
- Must have been living in the EU for the last 3 years
- Must live in England
You may also be eligible for part funding or choose to pay for your course.
You will be advised regarding your funding eligibility by an LLC Recruitment Advisor.
Must be in employment in a related role that allows you to demonstrate the skills for this apprenticeship.