First Line Leadership in Business Administration with Edward Jenner

This level 3 apprenticeship supports individuals in Business Administration roles who want to progress their careers. It develops a strong foundation of early leadership capability aligned to NHS values and ways of working, developing leadership readiness that is highly relevant to NHS settings, where influence, coordination and quality are critical even without formal line management responsibility, preparing individuals for progression into first line leadership or team leader roles. 

Key responsibilities

In this role, apprentices support and engage with different parts of the organisation, working with both internal and external customers. They may work independently or as part of a team, with responsibilities that include developing, implementing, maintaining and improving a wide range of administrative services.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours

Throughout the standard, Business Administrators demonstrate behaviours and skills that mirror first line leadership expectations, including: 

• Influence and role modelling  
  Apprentices are expected to build positive relationships, influence and challenge appropriately, act as a role model to peers, and set a positive example for others. This reflects early leadership presence and credibility within teams. 

• Coaching and development of others  
  The standard explicitly includes coaching others in processes, sharing best practice, supporting quality improvement, and developing coaching skills. This demonstrates readiness to support and develop colleagues rather than operating solely as an individual contributor. 

• Decision making and accountability  
  Business Administrators exercise judgement, solve problems, review processes autonomously, and make recommendations to management. They act as a point of contact for resolving issues and complaints, indicating growing accountability and confidence. 

• Operational leadership behaviours  
  Apprentices manage priorities, resources, meetings, projects and stakeholder relationships. They organise work across teams, manage expectations at different levels of the organisation, and contribute to continuous improvement, core behaviours seen in first line leaders. 

• Professional leadership behaviours  
  There is a strong emphasis on professionalism, responsibility, motivation of others, team cohesion and positive contribution to culture. These align directly with leadership conduct rather than task execution alone. 

Successful apprentices achieve:

• Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship Standard​

• CMI Level 3 Certificate in First Line Management and Leadership

• Edward Jenner Award in Healthcare Leadership Foundations

Progression

This apprenticeship supports progression into first line leadership and project management roles, as well as further professional qualifications and wider career opportunities.