Restart Scheme - Employment Advisor - Margate in Kent

We are seeking a passionate and driven individual to coach and prepare learners, job seekers, clients, and individuals (including those from challenging backgrounds such as ex-offenders or NEET participants) for the world of work. This role focuses on supporting individuals into sustainable employment, apprenticeships, and meaningful career pathways. You will deliver high-quality, end-to-end employability support, including information, advice, and guidance aligned with recognised frameworks such as the Matrix and Gatsby Standards.

From initial onboarding and assessment through to job placement and in-work support, you will play a key role in transforming lives and improving career outcomes. The role involves both one-to-one and group coaching, helping individuals build confidence, resilience, and the skills required to succeed. You will support learners with CV writing, job applications, interview preparation, and job searching using relevant digital tools and platforms.

You will work closely with employers, colleagues, and external partners to identify opportunities, match candidates to roles, and ensure successful progression into employment or apprenticeships. Maintaining strong relationships and delivering excellent customer service will be central to your success. In addition, you will manage a caseload effectively, maintain accurate records using case management systems, meet performance targets and KPIs, and ensure full compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, and contractual requirements.

You are an enthusiastic, motivated, and empathetic individual with a genuine passion for helping others succeed. You have experience delivering high-quality employability support, including CV writing, job search, and interview preparation, particularly for individuals facing barriers to employment. You are confident in coaching both individuals and groups, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and build self-confidence in others.

You understand how to identify a person’s strengths and align them with suitable job or apprenticeship opportunities, using a strengths-based approach. You have experience engaging with employers, arranging interviews, and gathering feedback to improve outcomes for learners. You are skilled in supporting individuals into employment and ensuring they sustain their roles through ongoing engagement and support.

Ideally, you have knowledge of the social enterprise sector and an understanding of offender services or substance misuse/recovery environments. You are highly organised, able to manage a busy caseload, prioritise effectively, and meet deadlines. You are comfortable using ICT systems and digital tools, and you produce accurate, high-quality reports. With excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you build trust easily, put people at ease, and maintain a positive, “can-do” attitude. You are persuasive, persistent, patient, and able to perform well under pressure while maintaining professionalism at all times.

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community. We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity.

Joining us as an employee, we will offer you the following benefits:

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background.

Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles. To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here. We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview. If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.