Careers Adviser

The WCG Careers Team works across all colleges to ensure WCG students are well informed about career opportunities and equipped with the skills to achieve their career goals. The team provides a range of services which support student recruitment, retention, achievement and progression. The team holds the matrix quality standard for impartial information, advice and guidance and was awarded the Quality in Careers Standard in 2022.

This role provides an opportunity for an already trained careers adviser to develop their skills and work in a fast-moving and progressive Further Education College. The role could also provide an opportunity for someone who is new to careers advice and guidance to be trained by a sector-leading Careers Team and be fully supported to become qualified after completing the probation period.

The successful candidate will be expected to have Careers Advice and Guidance qualifications or if not, be prepared to work towards them. Full training and support will be given.

The position is Term Time Only (40 Weeks), 29.5 hours per week.

The successful candidate will be based at WCG’s Leamington Spa Campus but will also require travel to other campuses and to any local premises where WCG provide services, including local schools. All members of the careers team are required to be back in work for GCSE results and enrolments that generally take place from around the beginning of the last week of August.

The post reports to the Head of Careers and Information.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide careers advice and guidance to all levels of students in FE and HE and potential students. To have a strong knowledge of pathways (College, University, Job, Apprenticeship and other destinations) to ensure students can make an informed choice about their future.
• Support WCG with the ongoing implementation of the Gatsby Benchmarks.
• Conducting impartial one-to-one careers interviews, drop-in sessions, e-guidance and telephone guidance with all levels of students (part-time, full-time, FE, HE, and adults) and prospective WCG students. Referring to external agencies where appropriate.
• Work with SEN students and offer ongoing support.
• To support the college UCAS process; offering advice, guidance and training to students applying to Higher Education via UCAS and to support teaching staff with the process.
• Take responsibility for the organisation, design and delivery of events for the benefit of students and prospective students, e.g. induction, careers fairs and support departments to create and further wider industry links with employers.
• To support the college tutorial programme and design and deliver careers education workshops to all levels of learner (Level 1 to Level 6), on topics relating to employability and next steps e.g. Career Planning, Job Search, CVs, Interview Skills, Apprenticeships, Higher Education and progression.
• Support student recruitment by attending internal and external events, which will include hosting school visits to college, supporting with school taster events in college and providing support at school events e.g. careers fairs as directed by the Head of Careers and Information.
• Liaise with Curriculum & Learning Officers, Head of School, Industry Placement Coordinators and other college staff to support students’ achievement and progression.
• Undertake training and continuous professional development to keep up to date with local and national initiatives, and in particular adhere to the CPD requirements of the Career Development Institute (CDI).
• Record, document, monitor, evaluate and assess the effectiveness and efficiency of all activities and their impact on student retention and achievement.
• Follow College quality assurance procedures and contribute to the drawing up of the self-assessment report and development plan for the team, and support the ongoing achievement of quality standards, e.g. Matrix and Quality in Careers.
• Provide support to the Careers Team at the other campuses as required throughout the year.
• Respond informatively and effectively to any enquiry received in the department, signposting to other areas or making external referrals as necessary.
• To attend college-delivered ‘Teaching Essentials’ training.