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- Tasks: Support the Employment and Skills Manager in delivering impactful skills programmes.
- Company: Join Thames Water, the UK's largest water and wastewater company, serving over 16 million customers.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous annual leave, and a range of health and wellbeing perks.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by helping underrepresented groups access employment and develop their skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in community engagement, employability, and training delivery is essential.
- Other info: Hybrid working available; apply early as the advert may close sooner due to high demand.
The predicted salary is between 44000 - 58000 £ per year.
The Employment and Skills Partner will support the Employment and Skills Manager in the successful delivery of the Thames Water Skills Framework. The role holder will deliver activities aimed at widening participation by maintaining and growing a network of external stakeholders that support those with multiple barriers to access employment. They will design and deliver a range of employability and early careers pipelining programmes, including generic and bespoke pre-employment training, a range of internship programmes, T-levels and others. The role holder will work closely with internal business stakeholders, including the hiring manager community, Resourcing team and Apprenticeship & Graduates team, to create a pipeline of quality candidates that act as a referral source for vacancies as well as our mid- to long-term talent pools.
What you’ll be doing as an Employment and Skills Partner:
- Develop and implement pipeline programmes, including internships, pre-employment initiatives, T-levels, and other relevant interventions.
- Collaborate with Resourcing to build a steady pipeline of skilled talent for the business and supply chain.
- Serve as a strategic partner to the Resourcing team, driving the development of a robust skills pipeline that aligns with resourcing plans while proactively eliminating recruitment barriers.
- Foster strong partnerships with the Apprenticeships and Graduates team to ensure skill development meets workforce demands and integrates seamlessly with education-linked programmes, including T-levels and internships.
- Cultivate strong partnerships with external specialists and referral organisations to drive successful programme delivery, ensuring comprehensive support and guidance for underrepresented groups.
- Play a key role in fulfilling external commitments tied to covenants, alliances, and charters, reinforcing organisational values and social impact.
- Proactively identify and address barriers to inclusive hiring and business practices, collaborating across teams, functions, and the wider organisation to drive meaningful inclusion and social mobility.
- Seek out opportunities to highlight successes, leveraging them to enhance support, engagement, and momentum for ongoing improvement.
What you should bring to the role:
- Experience of working with community stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of community engagement, employability and adult learning.
- Experience of working in the employment and skills environment and delivery of social value projects in a corporate environment.
- Training knowledge with the ability to design and deliver training at all levels.
- Experience of the recruitment process.
- Proven experience of training, education or employment support delivery for marginalised groups.
- Significant and demonstrable experience of widening participation projects, including supporting people facing complex barriers to achieving their goals and/or into employment.
- An understanding of the needs & expectations of employers as well as the benefits to business of having a diverse workforce.
- Support work or similar experience of being a positive role model, coaching life skills and helping encourage a positive outlook for candidates.
- Experience in safeguarding.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Experience of working with external stakeholders and managing day-to-day relationships.
- Ability to use own initiative and pay close attention to detail.
What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary from £44,000 to £58,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits. Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.
Employment & Skills Partner employer: Thames Water Utilites
Contact Detail:
Thames Water Utilites Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Employment & Skills Partner
✨Tip Number 1
Network actively with community stakeholders and organisations that focus on employability and skills development. Attend local events, workshops, or seminars where you can meet potential partners and learn about their initiatives, as this will help you understand the landscape and build valuable connections.
✨Tip Number 2
Familiarise yourself with the Thames Water Skills Framework and its objectives. Understanding the specific goals and challenges of the framework will allow you to tailor your discussions and proposals when engaging with internal teams and external partners.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your experience in designing and delivering training programmes by preparing examples of successful projects you've led. Be ready to discuss how these experiences can translate into developing effective employability and early careers programmes at Thames Water.
✨Tip Number 4
Demonstrate your understanding of inclusive hiring practices by researching current trends and best practices in diversity and inclusion. Be prepared to share insights on how you can help Thames Water enhance its recruitment strategies to attract a diverse talent pool.
We think you need these skills to ace Employment & Skills Partner
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in community engagement, employability, and skills development. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to work with underrepresented groups and your understanding of the recruitment process.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for widening participation and social mobility. Mention how your previous experiences align with the responsibilities of the Employment & Skills Partner role, particularly in designing and delivering training programmes.
Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills: Provide examples of how you've successfully built and maintained relationships with external stakeholders. Highlight any specific projects where you collaborated with partners to achieve common goals, especially in the context of employment and skills.
Demonstrate Your Initiative: Include instances where you've proactively identified barriers to inclusion and taken steps to address them. This could involve developing new programmes or initiatives that support diverse candidates in accessing employment opportunities.
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water Utilites
✨Understand the Role and Its Impact
Make sure you have a clear understanding of the Employment & Skills Partner role and how it contributes to Thames Water's mission. Be prepared to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, particularly in widening participation and supporting underrepresented groups.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Engagement Skills
Since the role involves maintaining and growing a network of external stakeholders, be ready to share examples of how you've successfully engaged with community partners in the past. Highlight any specific projects where you’ve built strong relationships that led to positive outcomes.
✨Demonstrate Your Training and Development Experience
The position requires designing and delivering training programmes. Prepare to discuss your experience in this area, including any specific training methods you've used and how they benefited participants, especially those facing barriers to employment.
✨Prepare for Questions on Inclusion and Diversity
Given the emphasis on inclusive hiring practices, be ready to discuss your understanding of diversity in the workplace. Think about how you can contribute to fostering an inclusive environment and share any relevant experiences where you’ve promoted social mobility or supported marginalised groups.
