Student Progression Mentor in Canterbury

About The Role

Inspire. Support. Empower. Be the Difference as a Student Progression Mentor. Are you passionate about guiding young people to overcome barriers and unlock their full potential? Join us as a Student Progression Mentor and become a vital part of our student support network.

In this rewarding role, you will:

• Support students in their personal growth and academic journey, encouraging them to thrive as independent learners.
• Mentor disaffected and disengaged young people, helping them re-engage and make the most of their educational experience.
• Provide tailored support that nurtures confidence, resilience, and motivation.
• Build meaningful relationships that foster trust and long-term progress.
• Make a lasting impact on the lives of learners who need it most.

As part of the EKC Group, you will also have the opportunity to gain valuable qualifications including:

• Mental Health First Aid
• Autism Awareness
• Counselling Concepts
• Safeguarding & DUST Referrals

This is a temporary contract until 2nd February 2026 (parental leave cover).

Hours per week: 37

Weeks per year: 38

Salary: £19,611

Holiday Pay: £2,646

Alongside our priority of excellent student experience, we also focus on our employees. Here are just some of our benefits when working for the East Kent Colleges Group:

• Competitive salary and holiday entitlement.
• Access to 100's of online discounts via our Rewards Scheme (Inc. Restaurant, Grocery, Retail, Gym, Holidays).
• Access to cycle to work, car leasing and tech purchasing schemes.
• Generous pension scheme - 18% employer contribution.
• Being part of a company with an Eco-Sustainability focus of being Net-Zero.
• Time off for your child's first day at school, moving home and for interviews.
• My 10 Days initiative - bid for up-to 10 days off work to pursue voluntary work.
• Being part of Community Days and Annual Staff Celebration Day.

About You

We are looking for a proactive and motivated Student Progression Mentor to join our dedicated team to cover parental leave and play a vital role in supporting our learners throughout their college journey. In this key student-facing role, you will:

• Provide one-to-one and group support to help students achieve their goals and make meaningful progress.
• Use your excellent communication skills to work effectively with students, parents, colleagues, and external agencies.
• Keep clear, accurate, and confidential records of all interventions and communications.
• Report and liaise with relevant staff and departments to ensure joined-up support.
• Show empathy, patience, and professionalism in challenging situations.
• Bring a non-judgmental approach to supporting students with a wide range of needs.
• Use your IT skills confidently, including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Adapt quickly to the daily demands of a varied and dynamic role.

Experience supporting young people with mental health challenges would be a distinct advantage. If you are passionate about student support and are ready to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

No need to update your CV — simply click apply and fill out our short application form. You can save your progress as you go. If you have any questions or would like an informal chat about the role, feel free to email us at jobs@ekcgroup.ac.uk.

About Us

Outstanding Ofsted Provider. East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider. It is proud to be the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to have received the Outstanding grade against each of the strands under the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group and this is illustrated in our ‘Strong’ skills grading by Ofsted.

Commitment to Safeguarding. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles. As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self-declaration, Enhanced DBS check and obtaining sufficient referencing. It is a criminal offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so. If you are successful in being shortlisted to interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process.

Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. East Kent Colleges Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our staff body and encourage applications from candidates where there is underrepresentation in our workforce. We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. With any successful candidate, we will explore any reasonable adjustments to a role due to health needs or disability. Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) with a commitment to interview applicants who meet the positions essential criteria and who have declared this on their application. We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break. We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in-house recruitment team.