Customer service Apprenticeship/ Insurance Apprenticeship

Employment Type: Permanent

Hours: Fulltime 37.5 hours per week (Split 80% on the job with 20% study time)

Starting Salary: £18,525 (increasing to £19,564 in December 2021) plus Bonus and Pension

Location: Bexhill or Leicester 

Start date: 27th September 2021

Are you seeking an opportunity where you can study and develop valuable skills alongside a paying career?

If the answer was yes, we may have the vocation you are looking for. The insurance sector in the UK provides tens of thousands of well-paid jobs, that are both challenging and rewarding.  Our apprenticeship programme offers the first steps in a new career to become a qualified insurance professional. 

We will provide you with a welcoming and inclusive workplace, offering support and development opportunities that will enable you to progress and do your best work. We recognise diversity as our strength, vital for innovation and commercial success, and we aspire to build a truly diverse organisation, which values and respects every individual’s unique contribution.

Your journey will begin in one of our Contact Centre teams where we will support you with a 3-month training plan that provides you with the basics (insurance quotes, renewals, and helping customers on their digital journey, to name a few). 

Once you have finished the initial 6-weeks of your training, you will move onto the phones, supported by your Team Leader, providing customer support on a rotational shift pattern (covering c50% evenings and weekends). After 4 months, alongside your role supporting our customers, you will have the opportunity to choose an apprenticeship course which will support your future aspirations. You have the option to undertake a Level 3 Senior Financial Services apprenticeship and work towards obtaining your CII (Chartered Insurance Institute) certificate or a Customer Service Level 3 Apprenticeship, which will lead to eligibility to join the Institute of Customer Services. 

We will fund the qualification and you will be allocated 20% of your working week fully paid, as dedicated study time. You’ll need to be able to manage your time effectively as each week you could be attending seminars, completing your portfolio, or revising for your CII exams. Your apprenticeship will take an average of 18 months to complete. 

Your journey doesn’t stop after completing your apprenticeship, it’s just beginning. You will be provided resources for continued professional development and access to apply for various career paths across our organisation that are of interest and match your skill set. Hear from our colleagues Bhavtik and Chloe on how the apprenticeship has supported their development and career progression here at Hastings Direct.

Who Should Apply:

Whether you are looking for your first job, a new career, returning to work after a break or a veteran, we welcome applications from anyone seeking a career and not just a job.

• People who will thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy achieving goals.
• Eager to learn- there’ll be a lot to learn but, we’ll give you the tools you need to succeed. People who are ambitious and keen to progress 
• Individuals with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Good numeracy 
• Basic computer software skills
• The ability to be self-motivated and manage your own time is vital to complete an apprenticeship

What happens next:

Application closing date is: 23:00 on the 15th August 2021 
Online assessments: between 16th-22nd August 2021 
Online introduction to Hastings Direct: between 25th- 27th August 2021
Online Assessment Centre: between 30th August – 3rd of September 2021 
Job Offers and feedback: prior to 10th Of September 2021
Joining date: 27th September 2021  

What we have to offer you:

• Structured career path with the opportunity to develop. As part of the apprenticeship programme, you will gain your first professional insurance qualification (CII certificate)
• Starting salary of £18,525 (increasing to £19,564 in December) with potential to earn up to £24,000 as you progress
• Up to 5% bonus earning potential
• 25 days holiday and bank holiday equivalent (plus buy and sell up to 5 days)
• Pension 1:1 match up to maximum 10% and a default match of Colleague 5%, Employer 5%.
• Well-being programme
• Team incentives

Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer which means we treat people fairly. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled persons regardless of their gender, age, race, disability, ethnic background, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marital/family status.Please also note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes credit and criminal record checks.