Cultural and Community Engagement Communications Assistant Apprentice

Introduction

This is an Apprenticeship role, and the post holder will work towards a Public Relations and Communications Assistant (Level 4) qualification. UCL and the allocated training provider (PA Media Academy) will support the apprentice to achieve this in a timely manner by making the time available to attend the training.

About the Employer

UCL is one of the world's leading universities. At its establishment in 1826, UCL was radical and responsive to the needs of society, and this ethos – that excellence should go hand-in-hand with civic responsibility – continues today. UCL’s teaching and research extends across all disciplines; from one of Europe’s largest and most productive hubs for biomedical science interacting with several leading London hospitals, to world-renowned centres for the built environment (UCL Bartlett) and fine art (UCL Slade School).

UCL’s new campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP), UCL East, has been conceived and built to be open, accessible and publicly engaged university campus. With two buildings currently open, and more to come, UCL East is dedicated to breaking down boundaries between knowledge and experience to solve some of the most urgent challenges facing people and the plant. The campus is a unique combination of multidisciplinary research centres, teaching spaces, study areas and living accommodation.

UCL Public Art and UCL Cultural & Community Engagement are part of the Vice Provost’s Office for Strategy which, among other work, manages the operations and vision for the UCL East campus. The team delivers public art, exhibitions, public and community engagement, and cultural programming; building an ethos of engagement throughout the new campus. Our projects bring together UCL researchers, academics, students, artists and east London communities to exchange knowledge and ideas, and collaborate on bringing about positive change.

The post is an apprentice role that will be based on-site at our UCL East campus. The postholder will normally be expected to work from the Campus with flexibility to attend evening and weekend events when needed. Time off in lieu will be provided for any evening and weekend work.

We are located in Newham, east London - one of the most socially diverse parts of the UK – and we want our staff recruitment to reflect this. We encourage applications from those who are underrepresented in the sector and at UCL including but, not exclusive, to non-graduates, disabled, D/deaf and neurodiverse people, LGBTQ+ people, people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds – especially women. We also welcome applicants from a range of educational backgrounds.

Those interested in applying for this role are welcome to book a short phone or MS Teams call with a member of the UCL East Cultural and Community Engagement Team via this link to chat about any questions you may have. If there is any way that we can make the application process more accessible for you and so easier for you to take part in, please just let us know. You can contact us by email on engagement-east@ucl.ac.uk.

What You'll Do

The Communications Assistant will work with the Cultural and Community Engagement team at UCL East to support the planning, delivery and development of the team’s communication activities. The post holder will contribute to our website, blog, newsletters, internal communications channels, social media, press releases, events listings and reports, helping to showcase the team’s work, share our learning, advertise our events and exhibitions to public audiences, and raise our profile to a broad range of stakeholders. They will help to increase engagement with our communications channels by developing an in-depth knowledge of our audiences, creating tailored, accessible content for them, monitoring engagement levels and contributing to reporting on the effectiveness and impact of our communication activities.

There will be opportunities for the post holder to shadow members of the Office of the Vice-President for External Engagement, and support their activities, to gain a deeper insight into internal and external communications across UCL, use of the UCL brand, media relations, public affairs and marketing. The post holder will be expected to feed their learning back to the Cultural and Community Engagement team.

Duties and responsibilities

• Attend project planning meetings, supporting the development of communication plans where required.
• Develop written and non-written content and schedule this content for publication/distribution across our communications channels.
• Carry out updates to our website and intranet pages, actively checking to ensure they are up-to-date.
• Research, analyse and monitor our audiences and stakeholders to inform engagement strategies.
• Create ticket ordering forms using Eventbrite for events, managing the booking process and responding to accessibility requests.
• Maintain and manage mailing lists and databases.
• Monitor shared mailboxes to act as the first point of contact for enquiries.
• Ensure a high degree of accessibility across all our communication activities.
• Develop and maintain an awareness of UCL’s brand and ensure that brand values are embedded in communications.
• Contribute to risk assessments and event management plans, considering how reputational damage can be mitigated.
• Support the procurement, briefing and payment of freelancers and contractors, such as designers, printers, photographers and filmmakers.
• Help to analyse and evaluate communication activities and present findings to the team and wider stakeholders.
• Support the team with routine administrative, logistical and time-sensitive tasks.
• Assist with the planning, delivery and evaluation of our events, such as press launches, exhibitions, private viewings, awards ceremonies, training workshops, and other public events.
• Actively consider and support diversity and inclusion across all areas of work.
• Actively participate in personal and professional development when opportunities arise both within and alongside the Apprenticeship Level 4 training.
• Follow and actively promote the UCL Ways of Working.
• Carry out any other duties within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager.
• This job description may be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post holder.

Training Outcome

Work in press and communications offices, specifically in education. But skills can be applied more broadly in a range of settings – both public, private and charity sector.

Skills Required

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Analytical skills
• Team working
• Initiative
• Non judgemental

Qualifications

• Essential - GCSE - English - 4
• Essential - GCSE - Maths - 4
• Essential - A-level or L3 equivalent - Any - C or equivalent

Course Information

Course: Public relations and communications assistant (level 4)

Level: 4

Route: Sales, marketing and procurement

Apprenticeship Level: Higher

Working Arrangements

Working Week: Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm.

Expected Duration: 1 Year 6 Months

Training Provider: THE PRESS ASSOCIATION LIMITED

This employer is part of the Disability Confident scheme, committed to employing disabled people.