The apprenticeship standards are a new in-depth way of gaining qualifications in your chosen job role. By completing the Level 3 Customer Service Specialist apprenticeship, you will gain a qualification equivalent to two A-level passes. It takes approximately 15-18 months to complete (depending on working hours).
As part of the apprenticeship you will engage in off-the-job training, create a portfolio of evidence, and complete the End-Point Assessment.
This apprenticeship qualification suits job roles such as Call Centre Manager, Customer Service Team Manager, Customer Service Specialist, and many more.
What are the subject areas for a Level 3 Customer Service Specialist apprenticeship?
For the Level 3 Customer Service Specialist apprenticeship, you will study these subject areas:
- Business Knowledge and Understanding
- Business-Focused Service Delivery
- Personal Development
- Customer Journey Knowledge
- Providing a Positive Customer Experience
- Customer Service Performance
- Working with Your Customers / Customer Insights
This qualification is ideal for existing staff in customer service roles as well as newly recruited apprentices/staff.
To find out more about these subject areas, give us a call on 01246 278931, or email info@apprenticeteam.co.uk.
Functional Skills
If you do not have grades A-C/9-4 in GCSE Maths and English or equivalent, you will complete Functional Skills alongside the apprenticeship. It is nationally recognised, and is completed as part of the apprenticeship. See below for more information:
- You will complete Functional Skills at Level 2 (GCSE A-C/9-4) as this is a Level 3 apprenticeship qualification.
- Most learning is delivered within the workplace by our tutors, either in person or by online learning. The only exceptions are the speaking and listening assessments, which may be delivered in a classroom.
- The tutors will visit your workplace once a month for roughly 3-4 hours per session, dependent on your learning needs during your apprenticeship visits.
- With their expert help, you will have all the support you need to achieve your goals.
What is off-the-job training?
In short, for 20% of your apprenticeship, you must have time away from your regular duties to engage in training related to your post. This is known as off-the-job training, and could include a variety of tasks. For example, practical training, theory tests and writing tests would all count as off-the-job training.
You do not need to visit a classroom to complete off-the-job training, and you will complete it within your normal working hours. As part of this training, one of our tutors will conduct both one-to-one workplace visits and remote learning sessions. This will take place every 4-6 weeks, with remote sessions delivered through video conferencing. Each session lasts 1½-4 hours, depending on your individual learning needs.
The End-Point Assessment
As part of your apprenticeship, you will complete the End-Point Assessment (EPA). In short, this assessment will help you to showcase the skills, knowledge and behaviours you have developed through the programme. For the final grade, you can achieve either a Pass or Distinction based on your final grade.
For the Level 3 Customer Service Specialist apprenticeship, the EPA includes the following:
- Showcase Portfolio
- For the duration of your apprenticeship, you will create a portfolio to showcase the skills and knowledge you have gained throughout the qualification.
- You will then use the portfolio as evidence during other parts of the End-Point Assessment.
- You will manage this online through the iLearner system, and you will receive full guidance on how to do so by your tutor.
- Practical Observation
- As part of the assessment process, an independent assessor will observe you in your place of work.
- This observation is a chance to showcase your skills in the customer service environment and your knowledge of the customer service industry.
- Work-Based Project
- Once your portfolio is complete, you will organise and document a project of your choosing to show your knowledge and skills in a practical way.
- An example of this would be a detailed report on dealing with complaints and difficult situations.
- At the end of your project, you will demonstrate what you have accomplished through an interview, detailing the initial intentions of your project and what was achieved through this.
- Professional Discussion
- Through this discussion, you will establish further understanding of your knowledge and skills within the customer service industry based on the evidence you gathered in your portfolio.
- You will discuss a number of scenarios you may have encountered in your job role, as well as questions relating to the development of skills.
Go Further
Once you have completed this apprenticeship, there are several progression routes available, dependant on your industry and job role:
- Team Leader/Supervisor (Level 3)
- Business Administrator (Level 3)
- Digital Marketer (Level 3)
- Hospitality Supervisor (Level 3)
- Operations/Departmental Manager (Level 5)
You could also progress onto a variety of job roles, such as Supervisor, Team Leader, Project Officer, and many more.
Call us on 01246 278931 or email info@apprenticeteam.co.uk to check availability and for further advice about the next steps. Our team will be happy to advise you on the programmes we provide, and can help point you in the right direction for any learning not delivered by Apprentice Team Ltd.
