University of Birmingham
Apprentice Maintenance Painter and Decorator – Maintenance Operations – 97594AP – Apprentice Grade 2
🇬🇧United Kingdom20 hours ago
£19,278 – £24,097Entry
Maintenance Operations, Estates Office
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary £19,278 per annum rising to £24,097 after 12 months service.
Apprentice Grade 2
Full Time / Fixed Term for 28 Months
Apprenticeship Standard: Painter and decorator – level 2
Training Provider: Dudley College
Closing date: 7 June 2026 - please upload a CV with your application.
Eligibility: The training delivered in apprenticeships is funded through the apprenticeship levy which is subject to Department for Education funding rules for apprenticeships. When reviewing applications the University and the training provider will be checking candidates meet this eligibility criteria. Further information is available on our webpage.
You have normally been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years. For exemptions please refer to the government funding rules for apprenticeships.
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Apprenticeship context
Within the Estates Office, we are looking to further strengthen our team across a range of roles and teams. We are looking to recruit people whose achievements and skills will contribute to our success and who share our values of collaboration, respect, inclusion, sustainability and professionalism. We welcome diversity and are committed to ensuring everyone is part of an enjoyable and rewarding culture in which they can do their best work.
As a team, we aim to deliver a world class university experience for the benefit of all students, staff, academics and visitors. We are proud of the role we play in the success of the University, the enjoyment that students, staff and academics get during their time here and ensuring that visitors leave us with the best possible impression of the University.
We operate up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all through the year in order to keep the University running efficiently and effectively, and in recent months have managed to sustain a safe and compliant campus during lockdown and an intensive period of campus re-opening
The University of Birmingham Estates Office is responsible for both the master planning and stewardship of our extensive estate. Our team is made up of over 180 dedicated members of staff, including 15 apprentices; all striving to deliver a world class university experience for the benefit of all students, staff, academics and visitors. After our staff, our physical estate is the largest single enabler for our world-class teaching, research and providing a fantastic student experience.
Our estate is large and varied covering 672 acres, with over 200 buildings of different ages, complexities, physical condition and use, ranging from grade 1 and 2 listed properties to brand new state of the art learning and research spaces. It consists of two main campus sites (Edgbaston & Selly Oak) along with properties in Stratford upon Avon, Ansty (near Coventry), Coniston (in Cumbria), Ironbridge and Dubai. The total gross internal area of the estate is 538,000 m2. 74% of the non-residential estate is in building condition A and B and we typically spend circa £9M on energy and water each year.
We are committed to sustainability and have achieved a 20% reduction in CO2 four years ahead of target and we generate 75% of our own energy via on site combined heat and power plants. Furthermore, we continue to reduce our carbon footprint by 3,000 tonnes per year on average and maintain more than 9,200 trees.
Apprenticeship summary
The Apprentice Maintenance Painter and Decorator is responsible to a Team Leader and / or their Deputy Team Leader on a day to day basis and will learn to carry out work supporting various painting and decorating duties.
You will be expected to attend and take an enthusiastic and active approach to learning the new knowledge, skills and behaviours required with awareness that you are representing the University in an external environment.
As a representative of the University you will be professional at all times, maintaining a good standard of work and adhere to University processes and procedures.
During this apprenticeship you will learn the following duties:
To carry out any painting and decorating requirements that is both routine and planned in accordance with the Estates work programme.
Appropriate use of different types of paints and tools for interior and exterior works, differentiate between the need to use rollers, brushes or spray paints in accordance with the needs of the project.
To measure surfaces and quantify paint or wallpaper requirements.
Carry out minor repairs to surfaces and structures prior to decorating/painting.
Monitor decorating material stock and procure new stock as required.
To diagnose and repair faults related to maintenance issues.
To deal with new situations with instruction and guidance from Craftsperson / Line Management when required.
To interpret and work from verbal instructions, drawings and specifications appropriate to University buildings.
Show understanding and appreciation of all elements of maintenance works in University buildings and / or the willingness to learn.
Support a wide range of work of multi-disciplined works demonstrating collaborative working with suitably qualified members of the department.
To learn new techniques and craft practices in line with evolving technology and legislative Health and Safety Requirements. This may involve attendance on training courses.
To work as part of a multi-disciplined team and understand fully the inter-relationship between the various maintenance crafts.
Recording, completing and providing essential job information via IT based systems.
Required to operate in various shift patterns in order to accommodate the needs of the University.
Undertake all work in accordance with safe working practices and safe working procedures.
Carry out other duties as required within designated skill set.
Adhere to University and Estates Office Policies & Procedures.
Treats everyone with dignity and respect in line with current equality legislation.
Health and Safety
The arrangements for meeting the University’s health and safety objectives are contained in the University Health and Safety Policy, and associated Estates Control Documentation. This includes the responsibilities of key staff and procedures covering the main activities of the University. All staff are expected to take care of themselves and those that may be affected by their actions.
This apprenticeship would suit:
This is a front facing customer service role where you will learn how various maintenance issues effect people and the importance of great customer care.
If you enjoy practical work, are good at solving problems and interested in maintenance as a career, this could be an ideal job for you.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
GCSE Maths or equivalent – grade 4 or above
GSCE English or equivalent – grade 4 or above
Willingness to learn and develop with a confident manner
Good practical ability strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work well as part of a team and on your own
Accuracy and attention to detail
A reasonable level of fitness, a head for heights (for some jobs) and a basic knowledge of health and safety
Proactive approach to Health and Safety matters, together with the communication skills to interact with a range of people, including students
Ability to be flexible to meet deadlines
Basic IT skills
Ability to learn and understand how diversity considerations affect own area (e.g. Dietary requirements/dress code)
You will be expected to engage fully with the University of Birmingham apprenticeship scheme, attending mandatory group days and contributing to the successful promotion of the scheme by representing your department in a positive manner.
Career Pathway
On completion of this apprenticeship, you may be able to progress into one of the following roles:
Maintenance Craftsperson – Painter and Decorator
With additional experience you could move into a:
Technical role
Team leader role
For enquiries please email: apprenticeships@contacts.bham.ac.uk
View our staff values and behaviours here
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.
