Employee Relations Apprentice

Coventry City Council’s Human Resources (HR) Service plays a vital role in supporting the organisation through effective workforce management, strong employee relations practice, and the delivery of policies, processes and development opportunities that strengthen organisational capability.

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

Start your career in HR – People Management

What is the role?

As an Employee Relations (ER) Apprentice, you’ll support managers to handle people management issues confidently and fairly.

You’ll help the ER team by:

• Supporting casework (e.g. attendance, conduct, performance and change)
• Preparing meeting documents, letters and reports
• Managing HR systems and employee records
• Responding to queries and keeping things organised and on track
• Ensuring work is handled professionally and confidentially

This is a full-time, fixed-term position for 21 months. You will undertake Level 3 HR Support Apprenticeship standard. Further information for this apprenticeship can be found here.

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Organised, reliable and keen to learn
• A strong communicator
• Able to handle sensitive information responsibly
• A team player who can manage multiple tasks and use their initiative

No HR experience needed - just the right attitude and willingness to develop.

Show us your potential

We’re interested in your transferable skills, for example:

• Working as part of a team (e.g. sport, school, volunteering)
• Staying organised and meeting deadlines
• Dealing with challenges and learning from them

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Closing date: 31st May 2026

Pre-interview and assessment date (Face to Face): 24th June 2026
Interview date(s) (Face-to-face): 7th July 2026

Apprentices start W/C 7th September 2026

* The pre-interview is a short session to give the candidates further details of the apprenticeship role and to help them understand what to expect from and how to prepare for the final interview. You will also complete a short diagnostic assessment to check the level of Maths and English that they are currently working at and identify any support they may require.

Did you know that there is support available to help you with your application?

If you would like support in completing your application or have any questions about our recruitment and selection processes, help is available at The Job Shop.

We would recommend that all applicants take advantage of this service in order to maximise the chances of being shortlisted.

Address: West Orchard Way, Coventry CV1 1FY
Phone: 024 7678 5740
Email: jobshop@coventry.gov.uk
Website: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/jobshop

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards & benefits package which includes:

• Flexible working arrangements
• An outstanding local government pension scheme
• Great opportunities to develop with access to accredited courses.
• Access to an award-winning Occupational Health Service
• Salary Sacrifice Scheme