Connect to Work - Employment Services Consultant - 18.5 hours per week in England

We reserve the right to close this advertisement at any time if we receive suitable applications for the role. An exciting opportunity for you to develop your career with the third fastest growing training provider in the United Kingdom. Acorn Training is a highly successful, skills, justice, employment and health provider with strong corporate values and inclusive ethos – winner of The World Skills UK Social Inclusion and Diversity Network of the Year award. You will join us at our most exciting time, with strong plans to double the size of the business each year over the next 5 years, spearheading opportunities to get The United Kingdom back to work and improving the skills of the workforce; enabling strong and sustainable future careers for all.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish, Develop and Account Management relationships with employers to promote the services of Acorn Training and provide exclusive vacancy opportunities to clients.
• Design, plan and implement internal Jobs Fairs to promote current live vacancies to internal candidates.
• Work with a small caseload of clients who have recently fallen out of work to establish prompt actions to re-enter them into sustainable employment.
• Work alongside and promote the internal services of Acorn Training ensuring stakeholders are provided with the best service to meet their needs.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the local labour market to identify key opportunities for customer and employers.
• Promotion of Good News Stories from successful opportunities gained from work conducted with participants.
• Support and signpost client identified pastoral needs.
• Provide information, advice and guidance on learning programmes and qualifications.
• Coach clients and promote positive behaviours associated with employment.
• Monitor own performance ensuring that client attendance and success measures are above national benchmarks and are in line with contractual requirements.
• Work with various multiple and complex client groups.
• Identify and signpost for support customers with literacy and numeracy skills development needs, promoting independence and learning skills.
• Ensure that policies with regards to Child and Adult at Risk are adhered to.
• Ensure that policies with regards to Data Security are adhered to.
• Always maintain a positive and professional company image.
• Support the company Quality Policy and Information Security priorities.
• Always support the company’s equality of opportunity statement.
• Work safely, supporting the company Health and Safety Policy.
• Perform any additional requests in line with the key responsibilities of this role.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications and Specific Training

• GCSE (or equivalent) in English Language and mathematics (essential).
• Level 2 IT Qualification, such as ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) (essential).
• Level 3 Information, Advice and Guidance qualification (desirable).
• IEP Accredited Sector Induction (Level 2) (desirable).
• IEP Accredited Certificate in Employability Practice (Level 3) (desirable).
• First Aid at Work Certificate (desirable).
• IOSH Health and Safety Qualification (desirable).

Experience

• Experience of Employer Engagement (Sales, Recruitment or Employment Services) (essential).
• Experience of Business Networking (essential).
• Skills for Life awareness (desirable).
• Knowledge of the local labour market (desirable).
• Experience of Connect to work and working with unemployed (desirable).

Knowledge

• Local Labour Market Needs (essential).
• Barriers to learning and employment (essential).
• How to support customer and promote independence (essential).
• Support strategies for various customer specific needs (essential).
• Knowledge of DWP, ESFA and / or other provision (desirable).

Skills

• Full Driving licence with access to a car with business insurance (essential).
• The ability to work under pressure in a highly performance driven organisation (essential).
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team (essential).
• The ability to work accurately and actively programme solving (essential).
• The ability to reflect on your own performance to support quality improvement (essential).
• The ability to manage time effectively and plan your own workload (essential).
• The ability work with little supervision or guidance (desirable).
• The ability to maintain one’s own motivation when things are getting tough (desirable).
• The ability to be proactive (desirable).
• The ability to understand one’s own limitations within the role (desirable).

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, ethnic or social origin, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, reasonable adjustments can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy. Please get in contact to discuss alternative options you may require, or alternative application methods.