Business Analyst Apprentice

We have an unrivalled opportunity to drive a technological revolution within local government.

The EDS Team:

EDS is focused on ensuring current and future investment in technology maximises the opportunities to support Essex County Council (ECC) from a technology perspective. Bringing a new focus to understanding and supporting the business functions will be key in exploiting technology to deliver positive business outcomes.

• Manage over 120 apps across the organisation
• Managed 22,000 service requests last year
• Have 120 active projects
• Trained 3,700 people last year
• Support 180 sites
• Fixed 36,000 incidents
• Filtered 250 million spam emails and blocked over 2500 phishing emails last year
• Replaced or refreshed 1600 devices in 2024

Benefits:

• Healthy work life balance; flexible and hybrid working options
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities
• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + option to purchase extra
• Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme
• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards
• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks
• Disability Confident Leader: we’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job
• Up to 4 days per annum volunteering leave
• Employee support networks, to ensure everyone in treated with dignity and respect
• A fully funded Business Analyst Level 4 qualification delivered online over 18 months

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found here pay and reward .

What our Apprentice’s say:

“The best part of being an apprentice is the hands-on experience. At Essex you get to work on real projects, solve actual problems, and learn directly from experienced professionals. It's the fastest way to grow your skills and confidence with support from all angles.”

Jack – Apprentice from the 2023 cohort.

The Role:

The Business Engagement team bring focus to understanding and supporting the business functions at ECC, which is key in exploiting digital to deliver business outcomes. Business Analysts perform research and analysis into market trends and technology innovation, using the information gathered to influence thinking and seek support for technological advantage.

Business analysts and business partners work collaboratively across the organisation with stakeholders at a range of levels of seniority and technical expertise. Duties will include undertaking research and analysis on market trends and technological innovation, reviewing and improving business processes and working with stakeholders on translating business requirements to ensure the best possible technical solutions are assessed and included in roadmaps as appropriate.

The Business Analyst Apprentice is an entry level role to the EDS function providing an opportunity for career development in an IT Role within any of the EDS areas.

As an apprentice, you will follow an agreed development programme that identifies the most suitable career path based on your aptitude and developing capabilities. The role will require successful completion of the Business Analyst Level 4 Apprenticeship and include an end of study assessment. Once the apprenticeship has been successfully completed, you will achieve the following professional recognition: BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for Register of IT Technicians (RITTech) Level 4.

As an ‘Anywhere Worker’ role, there will be a combination of onsite and remote working. There is an expectation that you will be required to work onsite up to 3 days each week.

About You:

You will:

• Be educated to A Level and have a keen interest in pursuing a career in IT
• Have a working knowledge and understanding of Microsoft office packages
• Be enthusiastic and able to demonstrate a determination to succeed in the EDS Team
• Have the ability to work co-operatively with others to successfully achieve tasks and deliver results
• Possess good written, verbal and presentational skills, and be able to communicate effectively with people at all levels
• Have evidence of good customer service skills
• Have excellent problem-solving skills
• Have the ability to review your own performance and progression to learn from successes and setbacks

Essential Requirements for the role:

• You will need to have Function Skills Level 2 in Maths and English, which is a grade C/4 at GCSE level. If you do not already have this, you will be required to complete the qualification alongside the apprenticeship. This will need to be completed by the time of the End Point Assessment (EPA)
• You will need to have the right to work and study in England
• You will have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for three years before the apprenticeship start date

Please note that we must be provided with your education certificates at the final stage of the recruitment process. If you have international equivalent qualifications, a NARIC Statement of Comparability must be provided. If you do not already hold one you can purchase online – you can find more information here: Statement of Comparability (enic.org.uk).

What will you be doing?

• Work within our Business Engagement team to support in scoping opportunities, requirements gathering and process mapping across a number of services. This will be your base position
• Work collaboratively with different areas across the EDS team for short periods to gain an understanding of the service and to support your apprenticeship study
• Ensure you meet the objectives of the role agreed and deliver work within agreed timescales to be able to demonstrate learning and acumen for technology
• Ensure delivery of requirements agreed in your personal development plan and your apprenticeship standard
• Take responsibility for agreeing a personal development plan
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework

Recruitment Timeline:

• 20th April 2025: Applications close
• 5th May 2025: Video interview
• 30th May 2025: Assessment centre and final interview
• 16th June 2025: Offers made to successful candidate
• 23rd June 2025: Pre-employment checks
• 8th September 2025: Start date

How to apply:

Start your journey within Essex Digital Services by clicking the APPLY button now!

You MUST submit a supporting statement along with your CV detailing why you have applied and what you feel you could bring to this role. Applications without a supporting statement will be closed without consideration.