Finance Apprenticeship HEO Milton Keynes, England
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About the job
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About the job
Job summary
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world.
We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK's security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners.
Main Purpose of Job
We are seeking candidates with excellent literacy, numeracy and IT skills, who are highly motivated to provide high quality and accurate financial information while gaining the skills and experience to become a finance professional. Successful candidates will work in various finance roles and teams based in London and Milton Keynes. FCDO departments will configure the roles to meet specific business needs, which might typically include:
- Effective customer engagement and clear communications with key stakeholders, departments and posts.
- Provide support, advice, financial expertise and management of resources to help deliver key objectives and meet the FCDO’s strategic priorities.
- Gather key financial data, produce reports, analysis and forecasts as well as preparing proposals for Management or Programme Boards to help deliver value for money.
- Check, validate and aggregate financial plans, analysing issues, risks, troubleshooting problems and answering queries as they arise.
- Deliver financial excellence to help the FCDO improve and standardise processes.
Job description
Things you need to know
- On successfully passing the apprenticeship, we will look to offer you a permanent contract and you will be expected to remain in our Finance Directorate for a further 18 months.
Apprenticeship and Training
We will enrol you onto a Level 7 Accounting or Taxation Professional Apprenticeship. The qualification should take approximately 36-48 months to complete and will be made up of on the job learning at the FCDO and apprenticeship training. You will spend a minimum of 6 hours per week of your paid hours on off-the-job apprenticeship related training and assignments over the planned duration of the training period (the practical period). The practical period is due to end at the gateway point before the end-point assessment. Further details about this apprenticeship standard are available here.
Further Personal and Professional Development
The FCDO reward offer includes a variety of learning and development opportunities, flexible working wherever possible and a range of employee benefits which can be seen in the benefits section below.
Successful applicants will become part of a friendly and supportive team, where everyone is committed to diversity and encouraged to seek out development opportunities. These roles will provide access to a wide range of Learning and Development (L & D) opportunities to enhance and/or develop existing skills.
Person specification
To apply for this apprenticeship you must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring your British Passport with you.
This role requires you to attain Security Check (SC) security clearance
For more information about this process, click here. Attaining SC will require you to have been resident in the UK for two of the last five years. At least one year of this must have been a consecutive twelve-month period. Serving overseas with HM Forces, in some other official capacity as a representative of His Majesty’s Government, or having lived overseas as a result of your parents’ or partner’s Government employment counts as UK residency for the purposes of security clearances.
It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following minimum criteria and Behaviours as far as you are able to do so. These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview.
Minimum Criteria
- A minimum of 5 GCSEs (including English and Maths) at Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent). To check whether your qualifications are deemed to be equivalent to GCSEs, please email Government Recruitment Service with the details: [email protected] .
It is essential that you detail all qualifications that you hold, with the name and grades attained on your application form. Failure to do so will mean that your application will not be progressed to sift stage.
- A full degree at 2:2 and above.
- Excellent literacy, numeracy and IT skills
- Competent using IT packages including Microsoft 365, Outlook, Excel and, ideally, knowledge of Microsoft Windows 10 and MS Teams.
- Good interpersonal, team-working and communication skills (oral and written).
- Good organisational, analytical and planning skills with the ability to work to tight deadlines.
Important: As part of the apprenticeship eligibility checks, successful applicants must be British citizens who have resided in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland or Gibraltar for the last three consecutive years, by 31 December 2023.
As these are apprenticeship roles, applicants who have already completed a level 7 finance apprenticeship are not eligible to apply.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Motivation Question
Benefits
- A Civil Service Pension.
- 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
- 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
- Learning and Development tailored to your role.
See the attached candidate pack.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Stage
You will be required to complete an online application form. You will then be asked to complete online Verbal and Numerical tests. If you successfully pass these tests, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application, which comprises of a CV and two Behaviour questions.
The Behaviours you will be assessed on at the application stage are as follows:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
IMPORTANT: If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and require Reasonable Adjustments in order to complete your application and online tests, please ensure GRS are aware of this on the date of application and certainly by the closing date.
Interview Stage
The Behaviours you will be assessed on during the interview are as follows:
- Developing Self & Others
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
You will also be asked Motivation questions at the interview.
Reasonable Adjustment
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 [email protected] 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.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to FCDO 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
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
