Employment Coach in Stoke-on-Trent

Department: Employability

Location: Burton

Compensation: £27,900 / year

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 and Key Performance Indicators

• Manage a customer case load effectively to ensure customers realise their full potential and move into sustainable employment.
• Provide one to one information, advice and guidance sessions to customers currently seeking sustainable employment.
• Prepare job search materials and differentiated products to meet the needs of the customer.
• Work with local employers and develop an awareness of the local labour market to identify key opportunities for customers and employers.
• Support and signpost customers identified pastoral needs.
• Provide information, advice and guidance on learning programmes and qualifications.
• Coach customers and promote positive behaviours associated with employment.
• Monitor own performance ensuring that customer attendance and success measures are above national benchmarks and are in line with contractual requirements.
• Keep accurate records to monitor customer progress towards individual goals, setting effective SMART targets.
• Work with various customer groups including young adults, adults, customers with learning difficulties and disabilities, lone parents, offenders and offenders in the community.
• 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.
• Maintain a positive and professional company image at all times.
• Support the company Quality Policy and Information Security priorities.
• Support the company’s equality of opportunity statement at all times.
• Work safely, supporting the company Health and Safety Policy.
• Perform any additional requests in line with the key responsibilities of this role.

Key Performance Indicators

• Referrals to schemes within Acorn Training.
• Monitoring outcomes for each candidate.
• Face to Face meetings with each candidate in line with company expectations and standards.
• Customer service satisfaction.

Qualifications and specific training

• Full NVQ Level 2 in customer service, business administration, accounting, or IT (essential).
• 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

• Skills for Life awareness (desirable).
• Knowledge of the local labour market (desirable).

Knowledge

• Barriers to learning and employment (essential).
• How to support customers and promote independence (essential).
• Support strategies for various customer specific needs (essential).
• Delivery of Learning and Skills Council and/or DWP contracts (essential).

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 problem 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 to work with little supervision or guidance (essential).
• The ability to maintain one’s own motivation when things are getting tough (essential).
• The ability to be proactive (essential).
• The ability to understand one’s own limitations within the role (essential).

Equal Opportunities

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.

Job Benefits

• Flexible working including home-based, centre-based, or hybrid job role dependant.
• Up to 26 days annual leave, with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days.
• Pension scheme to support your long-term financial wellbeing.
• Training and professional development, including CPD workshops and professional qualifications.
• Westfield Health Scheme with benefits including 13 healthcare services, cashback towards essential health bills, counselling and therapy treatments, fast access to MRI, CT, and PET scans, and discounted shopping vouchers.
• Wellbeing initiatives including Wellbeing Wednesdays and the Mental Health at Work Pledge.
• Disability Confident Leader, Menopause Workplace Pledge, Armed Forces Covenant, Ban the Box Employer, and secure prayer spaces.
• Annual paid volunteering day and charity initiatives.
• Cash incentives for Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year awards.
• £500 Recommend a friend scheme.

If you are interested in this role, please get in contact with recruitment@acorntraining.co.uk to discuss alternative options you may require, or alternative application methods.