Policy Officer Apprenticeship Level 4

Duration: 18 months

Policy Officers shape and/or influence government policy. They work with a wide range of stakeholders and experts to gather evidence and to synthesise information and present recommendations to senior colleagues.

We are tremendously proud of this programme which was designed by policy officers with central and local government as well as third sector experience. Expert guest speakers have covered reputation management (case study from history), careers in policy, feedback & analysis, a tour of UK Parliament, stakeholder consultation, assessment and networking. The programme was updated in August 2022, to reflect a revision of the apprenticeship standard.

In October 2019 Ofsted wrote about JGA’s programmes “Apprentices…particularly appreciate being taught by experts who help to bring their subjects to life and make them relevant to their own workplace.”

Clients from around England trust JGA with their policy apprenticeships. These include the House of Commons, Defra, Cabinet Office, Department for Education, HMT, Department of Health & Social Care as well as local government in Manchester, Bristol, Midlands, London and other areas. With recent changes to apprenticeship we hope that colleagues from the voluntary sector will join us.

We welcome new starts and up-skills, graduates and non-graduates, individual apprentices or cohorts. We ask only that they have enthusiasm and a lot to learn!

The Course

The Policy Officer apprenticeship is intended to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours required in Policy Officer roles, whether those be within the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.

The duration is 18 months in total, with 13 – 14 months on programme, and around 4 months for end point assessment.

Our programme consists of 10 taught seminars (delivered as one or two half days sessions per module) with associated assignments and reading, plus 2 End Point Assessment (EPA) preparation sessions (half-day sessions) and 1 line manager briefing session.

All seminars involve a variety of taught material, groupwork, discussions, and set assignments which cover the knowledge criteria of the Standard, as well as some selected skills criteria.

Module details:

  • Module 1: Induction and Introduction to Policy
  • Line manager briefing session
  • Module 2: Research and evaluation
  • Module 3: Stakeholders and Consultation
  • Module 4: Analysis and Feedback
  • Module 5: Project and Programme Management
  • End Point Assessment preparation 1
  • Module 6: Parliament
  • Module 7: Influencing Policy
  • Module 8: Devolution
  • Module 9: Implementing Policy
  • Module 10: Ethical and effective policy
  • End Point Assessment preparation 2

These sessions will be tailored accordingly to the specific needs of the apprenticeship cohort, so may vary in the content emphasised depending on support required and progress made.

In addition to the seminars, apprentices receive 1-2-1 coaching by policy professionals, as well as high quality onlíne and offline resources.

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Our Clients

Clients with policy officer apprentices include:

Hear from Our Learner & Tutor

Jamie Lewis-Macgregor, a graduate of the L4 Policy Officer program, and Drew Lindon, a Senior practitioner and tutor, discuss the benefits of JGA’s Level 4 Policy Officer apprenticeship. Leveraging their expertise in policy consulting and education, they emphasise the program’s distinct advantages. Through practical training and mentorship, aspiring policy professionals gain the essential skills and knowledge to excel in today’s evolving policy environment.

Image showing Drew Lindon

Navigating the Policy Landscape: Insights from a Seasoned Consultant

Gain insights from Drew Lindon, an independent policy, campaigns and public affairs consultant who designed the level 4 policy officer programme for the JGA Group. He talks about knowledge that really makes a difference at the start of a policy career, and why doing a policy apprenticeship is a good way to learn more about this.

Image showing Jamie

Jamie Lewis-Macgregor: Why I would recommend a Policy Officer Apprenticeship

Jamie Lewis-Macgregor talks about the skills and expertise he gained from a policy apprenticeship.

“As an Executive Officer (EO), the skills I learned during the apprenticeship elevated my work to an advanced level. It allowed me to develop proficient policy writing skills. I also gained expertise in building effective working relationships with stakeholders …”

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