Advanced Light Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship (Level 3)

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Our apprenticeships are designed to give you the hands-on experience needed in a real job that brings out the best in you, with real responsibilities, real challenges, real projects and scope to grow your career.

Click here for an insight on what it’s like to be an apprentice with us. 

You will be working in our modern, recently constructed workshop within a team of 5 other highly experienced mechanics and play a crucial role in keeping our Collections and Street Cleansing vehicles maintained and on the road.  

About the role

In this role you’ll contribute to the work of the day-to-day Workshop tasks and study to achieve the Level 3 Light Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician apprenticeship throughout the duration of your time with us. We’ll give you time during your working week for study and assessments- which means no evening or weekend study is required!

You’ll go to West Herts College one day a week, attending the campus in Hemel Hempstead.

You will work towards being able to undertake the range of duties listed below:

• Shadow our fully qualified technicians and assist in servicing and repairs to our fleet of HGV & Light Vehicles.
• Use state of the art diagnostic equipment to carry out routine service updates and interrogate engine management and electrical systems on our fleet.
• Assist in the day-to-day upkeep of our new modern workshop to include housekeeping.
• Assist with the day-to-day stock control in our stores making sure we have all the parts we need to keep our trucks and vans on the road.
• Work with your mentor to gain experience in repairing and diagnosing Body/Bin lift faults on our modern fleet of refuse vehicles.
• Start your journey to become a fully skilled shift Mechanic and be a key member of a front- line team.

Fixed

As a ‘fixed’ worker, you’ll spend most of your time in the same location, which will likely be a fixed office or location where your role is performed. Typically, you’ll be based in the same location as the rest of your team, because you provide a particular service from that fixed location or need access to information there.

 

About you

Skills required:

• Able to demonstrate mechanical skills
• Able to organise own work and achieve deadlines
• Able to work in an organised and methodical way to analyse and solve problems
• Be a good timekeeper
• Able to communicate well verbally and in writing
• Able to carry out basic administrative tasks
• Basic IT skills
• Able to use initiative and work independently

• Good attention to detail
• Able to complete basic written workshop documents

 

Personal Qualities:

• Able to demonstrate an interest in how the vehicle industry operates
• Comfortable working as part of a team and playing an active role
• Able to get on well with a range of people
• Real ambition to develop your skills and experience, and achieve the apprenticeship qualification
• Enthusiastic, dynamic and forward thinking
• Willingness to learn and to undertake a range of different tasks as required

Eligibility Criteria:

Qualified to at least Level 1 in Literacy and Numeracy (GCSE Maths & English at grades 9-4/A*-D or equivalent), or a Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship Qualification.

If you’re waiting for GCSE results, please provide evidence of your predicted Grades.

If you have achieved only one of the required subjects (English or Maths), we may still consider your application, subject to a skills assessment. If successful, you will be required to study and achieve the missing subject alongside your apprenticeship.

Please note: You will not be eligible for this post if you have a degree in the same subject as this apprenticeship, or other qualifications in the same subject at an equivalent level.

Other information

Location: Buckinghamshire Council, Pembroke Road, Aylesbury
Advertising closing date: Thursday 13^th August 2026
Possible Starting date: September 2026

Duration of Apprenticeship:

Our apprenticeship roles are on a fixed term contract for the duration of the apprenticeship. This apprenticeship usually takes approximately 36 months to complete.

• Salary
  Your initial apprentice salary will be £15,392 p.a for your first year and will go up to National Minimum Wage if you are 19+ when you start the 2nd year of your apprenticeship. All your training will be funded by us.

As well as the salary, our apprentices are eligible to:

• Paid holiday package
• Join our generous Pension scheme
• Get 50% off Arriva bus travel, and 34% off Chiltern Railways services
• Receive a range of restaurant, shop & gym discounts through our Employee Benefits scheme.
• Apply for a NUS Extra card

Reality Check:

This is a full-time position working a 37-hour week Monday to Friday, with travel to Hemel Hempstead one day/week.

This is a hands-on role in a busy Workshop, and you will get dirty!

This apprenticeship is for a fixed term contract for the duration of the apprenticeship, which takes approximately 3 years.

We cannot guarantee a permanent position following completion of the apprenticeship; however, this is a great opportunity to start your career in the mechanical trade within the waste and recycling industry.

Travel will be necessary, and expenses will be provided for this.

Contact: Russell Cato - Workshop Manager, [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/