ST0973Level 3v1.2Approved For Delivery

Information communications technician

Digital · Digital Support and Services

Duration

18 months

OTJ Hours

348

Funding Band

£15,000

KSBs

79

Occupational Summary

On a Level 3 Information Communications Technician apprenticeship, apprentices work in roles such as Help Desk support, Network Support, Cloud Technician, Network Field Operative, IT Support Analyst and Telecommunications Technician. They install, configure and maintain physical and virtual IT and telecommunications infrastructure, diagnose hardware and software faults, troubleshoot connectivity and performance issues, provision cloud services, monitor system performance and use infrastructure management tools to automate deployment and monitoring. Apprentices provide first‑ and second‑line support to internal and external customers, prioritise tasks and escalate incidents in line with organisational policies and service level agreements.

The programme comprises 79 KSBs, typically lasts 18 months and has a maximum funding band of £15,000. End-point assessment is by a project report with questioning and a professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio (Core Knowledge K1; project report with questioning covering Core K12). The apprenticeship prepares apprentices to support, maintain and optimise business-critical IT and communications systems across on‑premises and cloud environments.

View official Skills England source text

This occupation is found in organisations, large and small, in all sectors, and within public, private and voluntary organisations. Organisations increasingly rely on computer and communications systems in all areas of their operations and decision-making processes. It is therefore crucial to ensure the optimal performance and maintenance of systems. An Information Communication Technician (ICT) is critical to achieving this. The broad purpose of the ICT occupation is to deliver efficient operation and control of the IT and/or Telecommunications infrastructure (comprising physical or virtual hardware, software, network services and data storage) either on-premises or to end-users provisioned as cloud services that is required to deliver and support the information systems needs of an organisation. The occupation includes contributing to the preparation for new or changed services, operation of the change process, the maintenance of regulatory, legal and professional standards, the building and management of systems and components in virtualised and cloud computing environments and the monitoring of performance of systems and services in relation to their contribution to business performance, their security and their sustainability. The Information Communications Technician makes their contribution through the application of infrastructure management tools to automate the provisioning, testing, deployment and monitoring of infrastructure components. An Information Communications Technician (ICT) provides support to internal and/or external customers, by using tools or systems to problem solve and trouble-shoot routine and non-routine problems. This occupation supports clients/customers with their systems. They achieve this through monitoring and maintaining the systems and/or platforms to maximise productivity and user experience. An ICT could be installing and configuring computer systems, diagnosing hardware and/or software faults, solving technical and applications problems, either remotely or in person. Some examples of these issues are slow performance, connection problems, and an inability to access data. The work of an ICT involves undertaking a vast array of specialist roles supporting business critical requirements and focus on customer solutions. Networking, Server, IT Essentials, Secure Communications, programming, and databases are just an example of typical tasks and projects undertaken within the likely areas of employment. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide variety of internal or external users of digital systems, through digital channels, remotely and/or face to face. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for prioritising systems support tasks as they arise and for monitoring and maintaining system performance. They may work alone or as part of a team but will escalate problems in line with their organisation's policies and Service Level Agreements. For example, if the task may not be completed on premise, it may have to be referred to an external specialist. The Support Technician role is desk based resolving system user queries and resolving faults in a helpdesk environment. For example, a Support Technician in a Travel Agent would use a system to manage their customer bookings and when the system fails it needs rectifying rapidly in order to reduce the financial impact and damage to customer reputation. The business would contact a Support Technician to report the problem and either get it fixed or escalated to an engineer. A Network Technician role is usually desk based but may involve visits to client’s premises to resolve issues. For example, a Network Technician working in a university or a college they may be installing a computer lab as a training suite including cabling and hardware requirements. They may be required to install cloud services to support a business expansion and provide better network services. In a contact centre environment, they may use network management tools to collect and report on network load and performance statistics to improve commercial outcomes. In a retail bank they may contribute to the implementation of maintenance and installation work using standard procedures and tools to carry out defined system backups, restoring data where necessary. A Digital Communications Technician may be desk or field-based resolving faults and issues with communications systems. For example, working in a defence organisation operates as an Online Network Technician they would be at the heart of every mission solving complex issues, enabling the secure exchange of mission critical and often Top-Secret information. It would be their responsibility to administer and provide specialist communications and IT equipment including classified information and cryptographic material to guarantee Operational Capability is delivered to the Command. A digital communications technician working for a large telecom’s organisation could be involved in the build, test and integration of end-to-end customer solutions to support customer order delivery. Not to mention the build, test and maintenance of core and mobile radio access networks, working with both internal and external customers. A digital communications technician working for a large telecom’s organisation could be involved in the build, test and integration of end-to-end customer solutions to support customer order delivery. Not to mention the build, test and maintenance of core and mobile radio access networks, working with both internal and external customers. .

AI-Powered

What's in the Delivery Pack?

Every section is tailored specifically to the ST0973 standard, using official KSB data, the published assessment plan, and sector-specific context.

KSB Interpretations

Plain-English interpretation of every Knowledge, Skill and Behaviour

EPA Preparation

End-point assessment readiness, gateway checklist and method guidance

Delivery Risks

Occupation-specific risks, mitigations and early warning signs

Delivery Model Options

Model-selection guide comparing day release, block release and front-loaded approaches

On/Off-the-Job Mapping

Which KSBs are best taught by the provider vs developed in the workplace

Initial Assessment & RPL

Starting points, prior learning recognition and programme adaptation

English, Maths & Digital

Where functional skills embed naturally and standalone qualification guidance

Employer Engagement Guide

Employer commitments, progress reviews and workplace engagement guidance

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Qualifications & Recognition

Professional Recognition

RITTech3Full

English & Maths

English and maths qualifications must be completed in line with the apprenticeship funding rules .

Typical Job Titles

Help Desk supportNetwork SupportCloud TechnicianNetwork Field Operative.First-Line supportOffice IT TechnicianTelecommunications TechnicianCommunications TechnicianIT Field TechnicianData Centre Support TechnicianIT Support OfficerMaintenance Support TechnicianIT Support AnalystCyber or Security support1st and 2nd line support Telecoms Technician

Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours

Knowledge

44
  • K1: Approaches to back up and storage solutions
  • K2: Basic elements of technical documentation and its interpretation
  • K3: Principles of root cause problem solving using fault diagnostics for troubleshooting
  • K4: Principles of basic network addressing for example binary
  • K5: basic awareness of the principles of cloud and cloud-based services
  • + 39 more items

Skills

31
  • S1: Interpret and prioritise internal or external customer's requirements in line with organisation's policy
  • S2: Apply the appropriate tools and techniques to undertake fault finding and rectification
  • S3: apply Continuous Professional Development to support necessary business output and technical developments
  • S4: Operate safely and securely across platforms and responsibilities maintaining the security of personal data of internal ...
  • S5: Communicate with all levels of stakeholders, keeping them informed of progress and managing escalation where appropriate
  • + 26 more items

Behaviours

4
  • B1: Works professionally, taking initiative as appropriate and acting with an ethical approach
  • B2: Communicates technical and non-technical information in a variety of situations to support effective working with intern...
  • B3: Demonstrates a productive and organised approach to their work
  • B4: Self-motivated, for example takes responsibility to complete the job.

Duties (21)

1

Provide technical support to customers both internal and external through a range of communication channels

2

Establish and diagnose ICT problems/faults using the required troubleshooting methodology and tools

3

Interpret technical specifications relevant to the ICT task

4

Apply the appropriate security policies to ICT tasks in line with organisational requirements

5

Undertake the relevant processes with the relevant tools and technologies to resolve ICT technical issues

6

Communicate with all levels of stakeholders, talking them through steps to take to resolve issues or set up systems, keeping them informed of progress and managing escalation and expectations

7

Apply appropriate testing methodologies to hardware or software or cabling assets

8

Practice guided continuous self learning to keep up to date with technological developments to enhance relevant skills and take responsibility for own professional development

9

Document or escalate ICT tasks as appropriate to ensure a clear audit trail and progression of issues

10

Install and configure relevant software and hardware as appropriate for example: mobile apps, printers, projectors, scanners and cameras.

11

Address IT issues by prioritising in response to customer service level agreements

12

Administer security access requirements and permissions for stakeholders escalating as necessary for example password resets

13

Support the roll out of upgrades or new systems or applications

14

Complete cabling tasks for example coaxial, copper, fibre or remotely.

15

Administer mobile devices on a network

16

Deliver network tasks prioritising security with a view to mitigatingand defending against security risks.

17

Install and configure relevant software and physical or virtual hardware as appropriate for example: network devices, switches androuters

18

Install and commission computer or telecoms hardware

19

Maintain computer systems or telecommunications networks

20

Research solutions to maintain network communication architectures

21

Monitor and report telecommunications or communications systems performance to enable service delivery.

End-Point Assessment

Assessment Plan

Type: PDF

View assessment plan

Version & Source

Version
1.2
End-point assessment plan revised
Last changed
29 Sept 2024
Earliest start
29 Sept 2024
Approved for delivery
4 May 2021
EQA Provider
Ofqual
Sector Subject Area
6.1 Digital technology (practitioners)
Trailblazer
TB0547
Last checked
11 Mar 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What knowledge, skills and behaviours are in the ST0973 standard?

The Information communications technician apprenticeship has 44 knowledge items, 31 skills, and 4 behaviours that apprentices must demonstrate.

How long is the Information communications technician apprenticeship?

The typical duration is 18 months, with a maximum funding band of £15,000.

What does a delivery guide for ST0973 include?

The KSB Planner delivery guide includes plain-English KSB interpretations, EPA preparation guidance, delivery risk analysis, on/off-the-job mapping, employer engagement strategies, and more — all tailored to ST0973.

Data sourced from Skills England. KSB Planner delivery guides are an interpretation and planning aid based on official published source material — not an official regulator-issued document.

Information communications technician (ST0973) — Level 3 Apprenticeship Delivery Guide | KSB Planner