Apprentice Funeral Service Operative

Why This Role Matters

At Dignity, we believe that every farewell should be handled with compassion, dignity, and care. Your role will ensure that families feel supported, respected, and reassured every step of the way.

The Role

You’ll support every stage of the funeral process — from preparing vehicles and venues to assisting with ceremonial duties and family interactions. This is a physically active, hands-on role that requires empathy, reliability, and a calm, respectful presence. As a representative of both your local branch and the wider Dignity Group, you’ll help maintain our trusted presence in the community.

Key Responsibilities:

Drive and operate specialist vehicles (including hearses and limousines) Set up venues and carry out ceremonial duties, including coffin bearing Maintain funeral vehicles and equipment to high standards Participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota to support families Bring the deceased into our care from the place of death — including private homes, hospitals, hospices, or public spaces — under varying circumstances Prepare the deceased (washing, dressing, presentation) in accordance with family, religious, or cultural wishes Support with chapel visits and interactions with families in a calm and respectful manner Carry out all duties involving the deceased with the utmost care and professionalism

Training:

Through this apprenticeship, gain the practical knowledge and dignity-driven skills needed to care for the deceased and support funeral services with confidence and respect. Learn how to prepare vehicles, assist at funerals, handle the deceased with compassion, and contribute to a seamless, supportive experience for grieving families.
You’ll be supported every step of the way by your own Connect2Care (HIT Training) Vocational Trainer, with regular face-to-face and online sessions. We’re also specialists in English and maths, we’ll assess your needs and give you tailored support if you need a boost.

Training Outcome:

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, there are two main progression routes available. Apprentices may either advance to a Level 3 Funeral Director qualification or be offered a full-time contract with Dignity Funerals, depending on individual performance and business needs.

Our goal is to support each apprentice in building a long-term and fulfilling career within Dignity Funerals. We aim to help you develop the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to progress within the organisation and continue to uphold the high standards of care and professionalism that define our service.

Employer Description:
The UK's leading funeral company. We've been pioneers in funeral care for generations - always pushing to improve standards and support families with compassion and expertise. Our oldest branch was founded in 1812 on the south side of Glasgow, gradually growing over time to serve families right across the UK. We launched the UK's first funeral plan in 1985 and have supported over 1 million families since then. We actively campaigned for greater oversight of the industry, helping lead to the FCA's regulation of the funeral plan sector in 2022. Since then, we've continued to raise the bar - investing £50 million to support 60,000 people whose funeral plan providers collapsed, ensuring they still received the funeral they were promised. Today, we're a team of over 4,000 people around the country, all committed to making the UK the world leader in standards, care, and compassion in end of life care.

Working Hours :
Monday to Friday 8:45am to 5pm, may work evenings and weekends.

Skills:
Communication skills,Attention to detail,Organisation skills,Customer care skills,Problem solving skills,Logical,Team working,Initiative,Non judgemental,Patience,Physical fitness,Professional,Respectful