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This is an exciting entry-level opportunity to join Housing as a Business Administration Apprentice within the Fleet Management team. The role sits within the organisation’s central fleet function, which supports a wide range of in-house services by managing a fleet of approximately 500 vehicles across the North of England.
As part of the Fleet Management department, you will play a key supporting role in ensuring vehicles are safe, compliant, cost-effective, and ready for operational use. This apprenticeship is designed to provide hands-on experience alongside a structured training programme, helping you build a strong foundation in business administration, fleet operations, and transport logistics.
You will gain insight into how fleet services contribute to the wider organisation and its day-to-day service delivery.
Department / Area
Fleet Team within Repairs and Maintenance department, working from Blackburn, covering the whole group.
Key responsibilities:
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date vehicle records, ensuring all documentation relating to tax, insurance, MOTs, servicing, and repairs is correctly recorded, stored, and accessible for audit and compliance purposes.
- Manage the fleet inbox, responding to queries, allocating actions, and ensuring requests are dealt with in a timely and organised manner.
- Collect, input, and manage fleet data, including mileage, fuel usage, defects, and servicing schedules, ensuring data accuracy across all systems.
- Support the analysis of fleet data to identify trends, highlight potential issues, and contribute to performance improvements and cost efficiencies.
- Assist in the allocation of vehicles to services and departments, supporting effective fleet utilisation and ensuring vehicles are assigned in line with operational needs.
- Monitor vehicle utilisation and availability, helping to identify underuse, overuse, or opportunities to optimise fleet efficiency and vehicle allocation.
- Assist in the end-to-end vehicle procurement process, including supporting tender activities, liaising with suppliers, and coordinating the delivery, allocation, and onboarding of new vehicles.
- Ensure all fleet activities are carried out in line with company policies and relevant legal, safety, and environmental regulations, escalating any compliance concerns where necessary.
- Act as a key point of contact for drivers and internal stakeholders, responding to queries, providing guidance, and coordinating resolutions in a timely and professional manner.
- Support the management of vehicle-related incidents, including assisting with investigations, gathering information, and maintaining accurate records.
- Assist with the administration and processing of parking fines, penalties, and S172 notices, ensuring timely responses and accurate record keeping.
- Support vehicle inductions, ensuring drivers are familiar with vehicle features, safety requirements, and company policies.
- Assist in arranging and coordinating driver assessments and training, liaising with internal teams and external providers where required.
- Assist in the preparation and production of regular and ad hoc reports on fleet performance, utilisation, costs, and compliance metrics.
- Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and support initiatives aimed at increasing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing service delivery.
- Coordinate and support the booking of vehicle maintenance, servicing, inspections, and MOTs, ensuring minimal vehicle downtime and disruption to services.
- Assist in the administration, maintenance, and ongoing development of fleet management systems and tools, ensuring accurate data input and effective system use.
- Record, maintain, and update fleet-related processes and procedures to ensure information remains accurate, current, and aligned with organisational and compliance requirements.
- Support the end-to-end process of hiring and off-hiring vehicles, including coordinating availability, updating records, and ensuring all documentation and compliance requirements are accurately completed.
- Complete, fill in, and accurately save all required fleet-related paperwork and digital records, ensuring documentation is correctly filed, easily retrievable, and compliant with organisational procedures.
Key Working Relationships
On a day-to-day basis, the apprentice will interact with:
- Fleet Management team members and managers
- Vehicle drivers and internal staff across various departments
- External suppliers, including garages, maintenance providers, and vehicle manufacturers
- Internal stakeholders involved in procurement and operations
- Mentors and training providers supporting the apprenticeship programme
Personal Qualities & Skills:
- Good Organisational Skills: You should be able to keep track of lots of details and manage your time well.
- Accuracy: Handling important documents and data means you need to be careful and precise.
- Communication: You need to be able to talk and write clearly to different people, including drivers, managers, and suppliers.
- Computer Skills: Basic knowledge of computers, especially programs like Word, Excel, and databases, are important. We also utilize Power Apps, Fleet software and telematic systems so there is an opportunity to gain new skills.
- Teamwork and Independence: Sometimes you’ll work in a team, other times on your own, so you need to be comfortable with both.
- Problem Solving: You’ll need to think logically and find solutions to small issues as they come up.
- Positive Attitude: Being keen to learn and happy to help others is important.
- Interest in vehicles / willingness to learn technical aspects
Required Qualifications:
GCSE Maths grade 4 and English Grade 4
Job Types: Fixed 2 year term
Pay: £8.00 – £12.71 – (£8.00 for first year rising then to minimum wage for age)
Expected Hours: 37 hours, 5 days Mon-Fri, between 09:00 – 17:00
Holidays: 27 days holiday (rising to 32 over 5 years’ service) + bank holidays
Work Location: in person
Fleet Team within Repairs and Maintenance department, working from Blackburn, covering the whole group.
Future Prospects: Permanent Role
Apprenticeship or Advanced Apprenticeship: Advanced Apprenticeship
Proposed Duration: 20 months
Contact: Apprenticeship Team (01254 292500) Apprenticeships@blackburn.ac.uk
Website:https://www.togetherhousing.co.uk/
