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Apprentice Firefighter

Job Summary
Contract Type:
Fixed Term
Working Pattern:
Please see advert text
Advert Start Date:
21/03/2017
Advert End Date:
Closed for applications on 30/03/2017 23:59
Salary:
National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage
Hours per week:
42
Job Category:
Apprenticeships
Vacancy ID:
161123
Employment Location:
Cleveland
Number of posts:
10
Closing date:
30 Mar
Further Information
Apprentice Firefighter Opportunities

Are you interested in working within the community to improve safety awareness; help prevent fires and other incidents and promote fire safety? Are you motivated, willing to learn and enjoy working in a team?

If so we would like to hear from you. In partnership with CFB Risk Management Services and Hartlepool College of Further Education, we have Firefighter Apprenticeship opportunities within Cleveland Fire Brigade. As an apprentice you will be developed with the knowledge and skills which you will need to enable you to keep our local community and industry safe.

The Firefighter Apprenticeship programme will run for an 18 month fixed term period. Due to the high risk nature of the work applicants will need to be 18 years of age before the start date of the apprenticeship programme on 5th June 2017. Following an initial training period, you will be required to work on a shift based system, so it is essential that you must be prepared to work days, nights, weekends and bank holidays as required.

The training programme is aligned to qualifications which include BTEC and NVQ awards as well as Health and Safety and Medical. Following the initial training programme, you will join a team based at a fire station or industrial location (and will be rotated for purposes of experience) whilst continuing training towards completing your apprenticeship.

Our apprenticeship programme offers a good rate of pay equal to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage dependent upon age. This will increase in line with rates announced by government annually.

Age 18 to 20 years 21 to 24 years 25 years and Over
Hourly rate at 1st April 2017 £5.60 £7.05 £7.50

Successful candidates must have;
• A practical and outgoing “can do” attitude and a willingness to learn.
• Ability to work in a team environment and on own initiative.
• Strong communication skills both orally and written.
• A level of fitness to successfully pass the fire service industry entry test.
• Effective problem solving skills to understand, recall, apply and adapt relevant information in an organised, safe and systematic way.
• Confidence and resilience whilst able to take decisive action in emergency situations.
• Situational awareness to maintain an active awareness of the environment to promote safe and effective working.

Although no formal qualifications are required to enter on to this apprenticeship programme it is desirable candidates hold 5 GCSE Grade A – C including Maths and English (or equivalent). Candidates without English or Maths at Grade C or above must achieve a level 2 equivalent standard in both prior to completion of the programme.

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging opportunity that will provide you with valuable skills for life then we would welcome your application.

Your career will start with a 12 week basic training course at the Brigade’s Learning and Development Centre in Grangetown. The basic course will teach you;

• Firefighting drills (e.g. Working at Height, Extinguishing media)
• Breathing Apparatus
• Structural Fire-Fighting
• Road Traffic Incident techniques
• Medical

During this initial period, you will also attend Hartlepool College of Further Education where you will work towards BTEC Fire Services in the Community and Security processes.

Once this stage of your development has been successfully completed, you will be posted to a fire station or an industrial site (and will be rotated for purposes of experience) where for the next 15 months you will carry out a range of duties to the role of a Firefighter. You will also continue to be developed in the workplace and with additional training at Cleveland Fire Brigade Learning and Development Centre.

It is important before applying to ensure you can fully commit to the following activities and dates in order to be considered to progress through the recruitment process;

Assessment Proposed Dates
Closing date for applications 30th March 2017
Psychometric assessments 3rd and 4th April 2017
Role related assessments 7th and 12th April 2017
Interviews w/c 17th April 2017
Fitness testing w/c 24th April 2017
Medicals Candidates will be allocated an appointment between 8th May and 31st May 2017
Kitting Out Candidates will be allocated an appointment between 22nd May and 31st May 2017
Phase 1
Apprenticeship Programme
Successful candidates will be required to attend a 12 week course commencing on 6th June 2017 (which will include evenings and weekends)
Phase 2
Apprenticeship Programme Commences 27th August 2017



Application Form - Your application form requires a lot of time and effort, remember our decision to shortlist you is based on what you tell us about yourself. Structure your application using examples around the key requirements contained in the Person Specification document.

Unfortunately we cannot accept applications from candidates who have previously successfully completed a Level 4 apprenticeship programme as you are ineligible to apply for a second apprenticeship at the same or a lower level.

Psychometric Assessments – Consists of several different tests which assess an applicant’s ability to process information, problem solve and work with numbers.

Role Related Assessments – These assess an applicant’s physical competence and their confidence and ability to follow instructions including ladder climb, casualty evacuation, ladder lift, enclosed space, equipment assembly and equipment carry (further information can be found at http://www.fireservice.co.uk/recruitment/physical/)

Interview – You will be asked questions relating to your knowledge, skills and attributes to determine your suitability for the apprenticeship programme.

Medical – A medical examination by the organisation’s appointed medical professional will cover a hearing test, lung function, eye test, general tests based on a completed medical questionnaire and a substance misuse test.

Fitness Testing – You must be able to reach a minimum baseline standard of physical fitness to undertake the apprenticeship programme. The Brigade uses the Chester Step Test method to assess candidate fitness. This is a sub maximal test which requires you to step onto, and off a 30 cm step at a rate set by a metronome disc, sufficient to elicit a heart rate of around 80% max heart rate at a moderate level of exertion. It is a multi-staged test so every 2 minutes there is an increase in the rate of the step.

We are particularly keen to encourage interest from women and people from black and ethnic minority groups, both of whom are currently under represented in the Brigade.

Please direct any queries in the first instance to apprentices@clevelandfire.gov.uk
Please note
This job is closed for applications.

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