Drive Forward Foundation
Careers and Employability Adviser
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Careers and Employability Adviser
Do you have professional experience providing one-to-one employment, careers, education, or training support to unemployed people?
We are looking for an experienced and passionate Careers Specialist with a strong background in frontline employability support and working with people facing barriers to employment.
This is a hands-on delivery role for someone who can build strong relationships with young people, take ownership of their support journey, and motivate and empower them to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Position: Careers and Employability Adviser (internally known as Careers Specialist)
Location: London/Hybrid (London Waterloo office, with regular travel to Local Authority hubs across London. The role requires face-to-face delivery at different hub locations for a minimum of two days per week, depending on programme needs)
Salary: £33,000 - £35,000
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
Contract: Fixed term for 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Benefits: 27 days holiday per year PLUS the 1st Friday of every month is a half day. Pension and contributions are payable 3% after 3 months of service, employee assistance programme.
Closing Date: 14th October 2026. Please note that this role may close sooner than advertised so apply early to avoid disappointment.
About the Role
As a Careers Specialist, you will combine strong frontline employability experience with a genuine passion for making a difference in young people’s lives. You will independently manage a caseload of young people aged 16–26, building trusted relationships and providing tailored support to help them overcome barriers and progress towards sustainable employment, education, or training.
Working across London in partnership with Local Authorities, you will provide high-quality one-to-one careers and employability support, broaden young people’s horizons and empower them to be ambitious about their future.
Main duties and responsibilities include:
- Independently manage a caseload of young people.
- Provide high-quality, person-centred Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), assessing individual needs and barriers, agreeing clear action plans, and regularly reviewing progress towards career goals.
- Build strong and trusting relationships with young people, maintaining regular engagement and proactively re-engaging those who may disengage from support.
- Identify and create suitable opportunities for employment, education, and training that align with young people’s interests, abilities, circumstances, and aspirations.
- Provide practical employability support, including CV development, job searching, applications, etc.
- Work towards agreed programme targets and outcomes.
- Deliver workshops, group sessions, and outreach activities to engage and support young people.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of engagement, interventions, progress, and outcomes.
- Maintain a client-centred and inclusive approach.
- Work collaboratively with Local Authorities.
- Contribute to a positive, supportive, and learning-focused team culture.
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This role involves regular travel across London to deliver face-to-face support from different Local Authority hubs for at least two days per week.
About You
You will be an experienced frontline practitioner who is confident managing a busy caseload and supporting young people with a range of barriers to achieve meaningful outcomes. You will be resilient, proactive, and solutions-focused, with the ability to build trust while maintaining clear professional boundaries. You will be comfortable working independently, managing competing priorities, and travelling regularly across London, while also contributing positively to a collaborative and supportive team.
Experience, Qualifications, and Skills
- A minimum of 2 years’ professional frontline experience providing one-to-one employability, careers, education, or training support to young people or adults facing barriers to employment, including those from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds.
- Proven experience of independently managing a caseload, including assessing individual needs, agreeing and reviewing action plans, maintaining regular engagement, recording interventions and progress, and supporting individuals towards measurable employment, education, or training outcomes.
- A strong track record of building trusting professional relationships with individuals who may face complex or multiple barriers.
- Practical experience supporting individuals with employability activities such as CV development, job searching, applications, interview preparation, and identifying suitable opportunities.
- Experience or confidence in delivering employability workshops, training sessions, group activities, etc.
- Sound understanding of safeguarding responsibilities, professional boundaries, and risk management.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent organisation and time-management skills.
- Confidence using IT systems and databases, such as Salesforce or similar CRMs.
- The ability to work independently, take ownership of your caseload, and outcomes.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly across London.
- Resilience, adaptability, and a solutions-focused approach, with a genuine commitment to supporting young people to achieve sustainable employment, education, or training outcomes.
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Please note that this role involves regular travel across London to deliver face-to-face support from different Local Authority hubs for at least two days per week, with locations potentially changing according to programme needs. We are unable to consider anyone who doesn’t meet this requirement.
You may have gained relevant experience in roles such as Careers Adviser, Employment Adviser, Employment Coach, Employability Specialist, Youth Employment Worker, Key Worker, Youth Worker, or a similar frontline role. Whatever your job title, you must have at least two years’ experience providing direct one-to-one support to people facing barriers to employment, education, or training, including responsibility for managing your own caseload and supporting individuals towards measurable outcomes.
What matters most is your proven ability to build trust, engage, and motivate young people, take ownership of their support journey, and help them make meaningful progress towards sustainable employment, education, or training.
Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client, Not For Profit People. #INDNFP
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