Careers & Progression Adviser

The Careers and Progression team are qualified careers guidance advisers. This team delivers a combination of activities including:

• Careers guidance services to schools and post-16 providers on a one-to-one basis and through group activities.
• Targeted careers guidance to vulnerable young people.
• Progression advice and support for young people who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.

Reporting to the Careers and Progression Team Leader, you will be responsible for delivering careers education, information, advice and guidance in a variety of settings. The role also includes offering progression advice and support for young people identified within the NEET prevention/re-engagement programmes. The team of Careers and Progression Advisers will benefit from the different specialisms of the team members (i.e. HE, SEND, Careers Education, Labour Market Information, NEETS and other Vulnerable young people). Where a post-holder holds a specialism, they will be responsible for sharing specialist knowledge and information with the other members of the team.

You will work across the full ability range in schools, including those with SEND, and provide targeted interventions for those in vulnerable groups, such as children we care for and those working with the Youth Justice Service. You will be responsible for:

• Providing targeted careers guidance to vulnerable young people.
• Using your skills to help young people address specific risk factors, including those at risk of being NEET or persistently absent from school, teenage pregnancy and those being supported by the Youth Justice Service.
• Engaging with young people aged 16-24, in a variety of settings, who are at risk of disengaging from education, training & employment or who have become NEET.
• Organising and working on key projects that focus on support for young people, delivering activities and offering guidance that raises aspirations and develops their confidence to progress on to education, employment or training.

Attendance requirements to the designated workplace for the role in line with the Hybrid Working - Based in Civic Offices, alongside delivery in schools, colleges and the community.

The ideal candidate will need to have/be:

• A Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development or equivalent; however, a level 4 qualification in Information, Advice and Guidance will be considered for the right candidate.
• Able to deliver information, advice and guidance to young people, including those who are 'at risk' or vulnerable to poor outcomes such as becoming NEET.
• Evidence of supporting young people e.g. within education.
• The ability to engage with and build effective relationships with individual children and young people, particularly those with challenging behaviour, to improve their education, employment or training outcomes.
• Current knowledge of education and training pathways and labour market intelligence.
• Good knowledge of safeguarding practices and able to evidence how to ensure the safety and well-being of young people, staff and the wider community.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and how to apply it in practice.
• Knowledge and understanding of the effect of social and economic disadvantage on young people and its impact on their progression and the current legislation and policies affecting practice with young people.
• Proven ability to mentor and support clients to take advantage of opportunities in education, employment and training.
• Proven ability of engaging effectively with colleagues, stakeholders and partner agencies, working through and with others for the benefit of young people.
• Ability to implement and evidence progression, change and positive outcomes against plans which support the identified needs of a young person.
• Experience of managing a specified caseload of clients across a defined geographic area, working with them in a range of venues and outreach locations.
• Able to work largely on your own initiative, sometimes alone in the community, but accurately assess when to refer to management.
• Additionally, be a team player, able to evidence working with internal and external colleagues on joint projects, including the development of group work and information resources.
• Competent in the use of IT to manage and monitor their caseload effectively, recording information appropriately on the required management information systems.
• Able to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends.

Please see the Job profile for the full details and expectations of this role.

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it. We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.