Level 4 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner Apprenticeship

The broad purpose of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) practitioner occupation is to act as a social conscience for an organisation, helping innovate and drive ambitions for social and environmental change and to make these a reality, embedded and implemented across the organisation. 

The roles and responsibilities of businesses are changing rapidly; society increasingly expects that organisations should act responsibly not just to their shareholders but also to their wider stakeholders and the broader community. Business therefore is a great platform for social and environmental change and CR&S practitioners help to drive this by delivering an organisation’s CR&S strategy, releasing the power of business to contribute positively towards social and environmental outcomes.

The duration of the programme is 36 months prior to the End-point Assessment Gateway.

Please see the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website for further information

• Experience volunteering or working within a job role that embraces sustainability
• Good work ethic
• Relevant Level 3 qualification 
• In employment and committed to your career
• A minimum of three GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including English and Maths. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

The apprentice will follow a training programme to complete the apprenticeship requirements and meet the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for them to be fully competent:

• The apprentice will work and train with the employer and/or training provider
• The apprentice will create and maintain a mandatory portfolio in order to provide supporting evidence that will be needed to supplement the knowledge, skills and behaviours observed by the Independent Assessor at the End-point Assessment. The portfolio will be used as evidence for the professional discussion.
• A record of off-the-job training – this is training that must occur for a minimum of 20% of the time the apprentice is paid to work and is training delivered outside of their normal working duties – to develop a wider understanding of the industry.

Please see the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website for further information

This is not a routine office job; the CR&S practitioner will typically be working on multiple initiatives covering a variety of geographies, focus areas, and stakeholders. For instance, some roles may be weighted towards managing employee volunteering initiatives or fundraising for charities. Others may have a stronger focus on topics like human rights, carbon reduction, waste management, energy efficiency and supply chain. The occupation can also encompass diversity, inclusion, health and safety, and wellbeing. Therefore, the CR&S practitioner’s day-to-day responsibilities will vary depending on circumstances and this in turn means they could work independently, in a team, or collaboratively with multiple stakeholders. While not the norm, this may mean occasionally working weekends or evenings to ensure delivery of CR&S initiatives and events. The CR&S practitioner is also expected to be adaptable, able to thrive in a changeable environment, and support others through the process.

The model for delivery is bespoke to individual employers. It may include (but is not limited to) the apprenticeship being delivered in the workplace with taught sessions from Derby College Group.  Full details can be discussed with the employer.

You need PPE for the workplace and relevant writing materials.

The qualification is graded Fail, Pass or Distinction.

Functional Skills

Before taking the End-point Assessment, apprentices must have Level 2 English and Maths (equivalent to GCSE grades A* to C/9 to 4)

Further Study

You can progress to a degree programme or a further apprenticeship programme.

You can also advance in your employment role and take up future opportunities to secure more senior positions. 

For more information, contact Derby College Group on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk