Apprenticeship Programme Coordinator

We are Uisce Éireann. Every day, we are responsible for the delivery of secure, safe, and sustainable water services for the people of Ireland. As Ireland’s national regulated water utility, our vision is a sustainable Ireland where water is respected and protected, for the planet and all the lives it supports.

Our purpose at Uisce Éireann is to rise to the challenge of delivering transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. That means we are proud to take on the responsibility of protecting our water supply and passing on a safe and secure water system to a rapidly growing population and empowering Ireland’s social and economic growth. 

So, we’re passionate about helping our people to do the best work of their lives, to enable them to make a positive difference to communities all over Ireland. Our aim is to attract and develop talented and skilled people with diverse backgrounds and an evolving range of expertise and insight. We believe that such a strong workforce will help us achieve our goals and allow us to continue investing in, and advancing, Ireland’s water services. 

The Role:

The Organisation Development Function is responsible for managing and supporting the assessment of organisational needs and the design, implementation and evaluation of programs that facilitate the professional development and continuous learning of team members, including executives and emerging leaders. The Learning and Skills area supports the development of technical skills in water distribution. It is responsible for harnessing the experience, skills, knowledge, and wisdom of their own operational people to support training and learning in the field as well as supporting the learning of Apprentices. The team also supports the introduction of innovative tools and techniques into distribution practice and the Tech Training Skills Technical Managers work with and embed themselves within the Functions to ensure future needs and changes are identified and incorporated and continue to meet standards. The team manage the engagement, coordination, and content oversight, and agree on the delivery mode for Technical Training needs. 

Reporting to the Learning & Technical Skills Senior Manager, the Apprenticeship Programme Coordinator will oversee the day-to-day management and administration of Apprenticeship Programmes for Uisce Éireann and will assist in the development of new programmes. The Apprenticeship Programme Coordinator will manage all aspects of the programme’s life cycle including recruitment, training facilitation and cross-department collaboration to ensure the successful and smooth running of the programme across Uisce Éireann.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Partner with learning and skills colleagues, business stakeholders and external third-party providers to customize, define, shape, and implement the Apprenticeship Programme plans and strategies 
• Serve as the primary point of contact for identifying, gathering, and validating Traineeship/ Apprenticeship Programme requirements in conjunction with the HR teams ensuring alignment and enabling best practice 
• Use appropriate tools and methodologies to carry out and administer end-to-end processes of the Apprenticeship Programme cycle, including planning, design, development, delivery, coordination, and evaluation
• Manage the delivery of Apprenticeship training programmes across the organisation, both by internal and external providers, online, in-house and on both an operational and strategic level
• Work with the Technical Learning & Skills Manager and the HR Teams to support with the identification and creation of suitable mandatory and non-mandatory training competency curriculums for all Apprentices
• Work with functional managers around the development and maintenance of training curriculums for defined apprentice roles, ensuring all legislated, regulated and compliance requirements are satisfied 
• Deliver and coordinate quality training and assessment, working with Apprentices and their mentors to ensure that the necessary skills and knowledge are being developed for apprentices to succeed in their job roles
• Accurately monitor Uisce Éireann Apprentices’ progress to assure high achievement and progression rates
• Organise and facilitate induction for new Apprentices
• Guide Apprentices through the onboarding process, monitoring progress and maintaining accurate records
• Process training & competency documentation, reviewing records and transferring information to relevant systems
• Support the recruitment process for Apprentices, including relevant advertising of vacancies and reviewing applications
• Conduct pre-enrolment interviews and verify eligibility and suitability of Apprentices
• Manage Uisce Éireann’s approval application process for new Apprenticeship Programmes
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all Apprenticeship Programme related queries, responding as appropriate and providing efficient and accurate support, information, and guidance to stakeholders
• Own all administrative aspects of the Apprenticeship Programme including, but not restricted to, system access, compliance checks, e-mail/ phone-based communications, and progress updates/ follow ups
• Develop and disseminate programme schedules, mailings, and participant communication in accordance with established programme timelines and best practices
• Organise and manage all programme material production, including programme websites, system set-up and maintenance, readings and assignments, digital and printed programme materials, signage, evaluations, etc.
• Arrange and coordinate all programme logistics in close collaboration with on- and off-site partners, including programme space and special-event venues, media and IT services, transportation, tours, and other programme-related activities.
• Attend relevant meetings and events to promote the Apprenticeship Programme and raise awareness of the benefits of Apprenticeships, establishing Uisce Éireann as an employer of choice in a competitive labour market 
• Drive a continuous improvement mind-set within the learning and skills team to enable process excellence, proactively identifying and driving improvements across Uisce Éireann’s Apprenticeship Programmes
• Manage vendors and service providers and monitor performance during delivery to ensure quality and optimum value for Uisce Éireann
• Keep abreast of the latest Apprenticeship Programme thinking, products, initiatives, and technology and seek to make use of application opportunities within Uisce Éireann
• Conduct research on Apprenticeship Programme methodology and best practices to inform new programmes
• Build and maintain close and effective working relationships within L&D, HR Management & Leadership, and the wider organisation along with relevant external providers 
• Perform other duties as required from time to time 

General Duties and Responsibilities 

• Collaborate with key internal stakeholders across the UÉ business, including but not limited to; the trainees, the trainers, leadership and vendors
• Responsible for promoting and delivering health and safety commitments across UÉ and its supply chain, reinforcing positive behaviours and delivering health and safety objectives and requirements to the highest industry standards. 
• Support the delivery of the Uisce Éireann Transformation Programme, driving results required within the Directorate and supporting organisation-wide objectives.
• Other duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Relevant third level qualification and or accreditation is desirable and or relevant experience
• A minimum of 5 years’ Experience in Industry preferably in the water, utilities or similar industries is desirable (and/or relevant experience)
• Ability to develop and maintain effective strategic partnerships with key stakeholders internally and externally 
• Proven track record of dealing with complex issues, proactively and in a timely fashion along with the ability to communicate complex information to others 
• Highly motivated individual, working to the highest professional standards with proven ability to deliver results
• Strong analytical skills and ability to identify and analyse problems and potential improvements, and propose and implement solutions
• Demonstrate adaptability and the ability to change focus and direction in line with business strategy and requirements
• Proactively identifying new areas of improvement and using newly gained knowledge and skill on the job