Employability Specialists in Worcester

Worcester, Redditch | Worcestershire County Council

Permanent contract

Want to help young people overcome barriers and build a brighter future? Become an Employability Specialist and support 18–24 year‑olds into meaningful work across Worcestershire. We have two roles.

Deadline: 15th February 2026

West Midlands

Full-time

Job overview

While you are working hard, doing your best for the people of Worcestershire, we will do our best to provide an environment that supports and inspires you.

Our people

You will be joining a great team. In our last staff survey, 91% of our people say they have good working relationships with their colleagues. This is fantastic because our people are at the heart of our culture. We are inclusive – this is really important to us and we are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer.

Your development

We are passionate about learning and personal development because our people are the ones who make a difference. Our learning and development package helps our people develop the skills and behaviours they need to thrive here. We also have a Talent Management Programme so we can identify, support and nurture talent within the organisation.

Role

In this role, you’ll be supporting young adults aged 18–24 who are facing challenges such as long-term unemployment, low confidence, mental health difficulties, or limited qualifications. By offering personalised, 1:1 support, you’ll help them build confidence, set goals, and take practical steps towards meaningful and lasting employment.

You don’t need to know everything on day one – what matters most is that you are motivated, empathetic, and open to learning. We’ll provide training in the Supported Employment Quality Framework and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach, equipping you with the tools to make a real difference.

Alongside working directly with young people, you’ll also connect with local employers to encourage inclusive job opportunities and provide ongoing support to help individuals thrive at work. This is a chance to be part of a countywide programme making a real impact on reducing youth unemployment. You’ll work in a friendly, supportive team and collaborate with partners across the local authority, health services, and community organisations.

Responsibilities

• To provide 1:1 employment support to young people aged 16-24 who face significant barriers moving into sustainable employment.
• Deliver tailored support in line with the Supported Employment Quality Framework and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) principles.
• To provide specialist knowledge on provision and support available to 16–24-year-olds in Worcestershire.
• Develop employer relationships creating job opportunities that match participants aspirations.

Main Activities & Responsibilities:

• Engage with young people aged 16-24 throughout Worcestershire who require specialist information advice and guidance support about their futures.
• Support, manage and progress a caseload of 25 young people offer advice on possible destinations including employment in line with the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) principles.
• Develop strong relationships with local employers to create job opportunities that match individual participant goals.
• Provide in-work support and job coaching to help participants succeed and remain in employment.
• Work with young people to establish aspirations and future plans through the use of assessment and profiling tools and bespoke vocational profiling.
• Work and liaise with a range of services to ensure vulnerable young people are supported through tailored interventions.
• To seek and understand the range and quality of opportunities within Worcestershire available to young people by awareness of local labour market, industries and roles.
• To maintain accurate records to demonstrate the assessment process and progress of young people to enable effective monitoring and evaluation and to report on outcomes against targets.
• To update the project CRM system to record all activities as required in order to report progress on key performance indicators.
• To deliver presentations/sessions/workshops to professionals and young people in a wide range of settings on issues relating to employment, education and skills.
• To develop and maintain working relationships with colleges, training providers, DWP and other partner organisations including other Council departments in order to identify and provide joined up services to clients.
• To keep up to date with changes in legislation or government programmes that relate to employment, education or training.
• Promote inclusive employment practices in Worcestershire.

The person

It is essential that the post holder has:

• Significant experience of delivering intensive, 1:1 employability intervention for individuals facing complex or multiple barriers to work (e.g., mental health, care experience, low qualifications, or criminal justice history).
• Considerable experience of working in performance-driven environments (e.g. outcomes-based contracts, payment-by-results programmes).
• Significant experience of working with and delivering support to young people looking for employment.
• Proven track record in supporting young people towards suitable job opportunities.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills in relationship/partner management and building relationships with young people.
• Considerable understanding of the application supported employment principles and fidelity standards.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, including the ability to manage own workload and meet performance targets.
• Able to produce accurate and timely records, reports and evaluations of participant progress.
• Understanding of safeguarding, equality and diversity, and confidentiality in working with vulnerable young people.
• Competent IT user – proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), email, and web-based systems.
• Significant experience of presenting information to groups of young people around employability and careers topics.
• Substantial experience of working with young people.
• Significant experience of disseminating information, pursuing defined action plans and initiating procedures and providing progress reports in order to meet defined objectives.
• Considerable experience of successful internal and external partnership and team working arrangements.
• Proven experience of developing partnership approaches to working with young people between agencies, such as DWP and other stakeholders.
• Experience of working in teams but the ability to work towards positive outcomes out in the field on a lone worker basis.