Apprentice Career Coach

Summary

Positive Steps are recruiting for an Apprentice Careers Coach to join their team in Oldham. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to provide a range of career coaching and support services for young people and or adults, whilst working towards a recognised level 4 qualification.

Wage

£14,133.60 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£14133.60 per annum for first 12 months.

Training course

Employability practitioner (level 4)

Hours

Monday to Friday – 36 hours per week. Core opening hours 9-5 although we do offer flexible working.

36 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 July 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Role and resposibilities will include:

Manage a caseload of clients, with appropriate support, to provide a range of information, advice, support and advocacy to improve outcomes for service users
Manage the client caseload in line with relevant legislation, quality standards and best practice
Coordinate delivery and activities for service users to meet their needs and to improve education, employment and training outcomes
Undertake accurate and timely recording in order to ensure the safety of the organisation and our clients
Maintain strong relationships with partners to improve outcomes for clients
Apply co-production principles to ensure the user's voice is represented
Apply the consistent application of all relevant policies and procedures, including safeguarding, health & safety and equality & diversity, to ensure a compliant service
Undertake any other duties to meet service and organisational objectives, following consultation with your manager
To undertake an Employability Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship
Undertake apprenticeship training to provide a range of career guidance and support services for young people and/or adults

Where you'll work

Medtia Place
80 Union Street
Oldham
OL1 1DJ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

SEETEC BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY CENTRE LIMITED

Your training course

Employability practitioner (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Holistic Assessments & Diagnostics - Use holistic assessment and diagnostic skills to identify servicer user employability, career goals and aspirations and health and well-being barriers. Assess service users’ strengths and obstacles to building healthier lives through returning to work.
Interviewing & Effective Questioning - Apply effective interviewing and questioning techniques to identify servicer user employability, career goals and aspirations and potential barriers to these
Attention to detail & Record Keeping- Conduct routine compliance checks of service user records for own caseload and others, identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations.
Design & Deliver Interventions - Utilise evidence-based solutions to design and deliver employability, health and wellbeing related programmes, services and interventions to service users which considers the specific needs of different groups (e.g. those with physical disabilities and those with mental, learning, emotional and behavioural challenges, including autism and dyslexia). These can be either on a one-to-one basis (face-to-face or remotely) or in groups at a central office or out in the community.
Flexible Working - Where required, work flexibly across different locations by undertaking outreach work to make services accessible for service users or even co-locating with other community services. Where required, work flexibly outside of normal office working hours as there may be times when they have to work evenings and weekends if any of their service users are employed and need to be contacted and provided with support outside of these times
Communication - Communicate to a high standard, both verbally and written, using a wide variety of different methods and adapting for different audiences, evaluating the effectiveness for continuous improvement.
Coaching & Mentoring - Coach and mentor service users and colleagues and actively improve coaching and mentoring skills for themselves and others.
Problem Solving & Risk/Crisis Management - Uses advanced problem solving, and negotiation skills to establish win-win situations with service users where possible. Identifying when they might potentially fall out of work and rapidly respond to minimise the risk. Address safeguarding and PREVENT concerns maturely, dealing with service users when they present in crisis, minimising risks/crises in the future through pastoral support and effective risk assessment.
Managing Complex Caseloads - Application of specialist knowledge to deal with particular complex and challenging cases.
Behaviour Management - Anticipate and de-escalate challenging behaviour in service users, managing challenging behaviour as it presents itself using relevant non-clinical behaviour change tools and techniques.
Change Management - Manage change effectively with the on-boarding/off-boarding of contracts and services
Business Development - Identify, seek out and establish business development and commercial opportunities for the organisation including new referral streams. This may include the impact of a move to net carbon zero emission economy by 2050 on the local labour market.
Networking - Network with internal and external customers and key stakeholders to build relationships and identify business opportunities.
Stakeholder Management & Engagement - Build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders to support service delivery by taking a multi-agency and integrated services approach.
Giving Feedback - Give constructive and timely feedback to service users and colleagues.
Evaluation & Critical Analysis - Evaluates and analyses programmes, services and interventions, using data to make recommendations for improvements and to inform service delivery.
Research Skills - Gather labour market, employability and careers information, analyse it, spot trends and patterns, draw conclusions to inform information, advice and guidance given to service users and employers. Research skills are used to further specialism knowledge and experience, as well as to support service design and delivery. This may include the impact of a move to net carbon zero emission economy by 2050 on the local labour market.
Deliver Information, Advice & Guidance - Apply employability, careers and labour market knowledge to deliver high quality information, advice and guidance that is tailored to the needs of the service users and key stakeholders.
Service Delivery - Adheres to company vision, mission and values, embedding them in all service delivery.
Performance Management - Independently manage own performance to meet and exceed minimum service levels, contractual requirements and service level agreements.
ICT & Digital Skills - ICT skills are used for record keeping and digital skills are used to support service users with finding employment through social media and the internet.
Assertiveness - Assertively directs and challenges service users to reach their potential. Will also be used when dealing with key stakeholders.
Manage CPD - Manage your own and support the professional development of others. Promote best practice through learning opportunities as they arise.
Holistic Assessments & Diagnostics - Use holistic assessment and diagnostic skills to identify servicer user employability, career goals and aspirations and health and well-being barriers. Assess service users’ strengths and obstacles to building healthier lives through returning to work.
Interviewing & Effective Questioning - Apply effective interviewing and questioning techniques to identify servicer user employability, career goals and aspirations and potential barriers to these
Attention to detail & Record Keeping- Conduct routine compliance checks of service user records for own caseload and others, identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations.
Design & Deliver Interventions - Utilise evidence-based solutions to design and deliver employability, health and wellbeing related programmes, services and interventions to service users which considers the specific needs of different groups (e.g. those with physical disabilities and those with mental, learning, emotional and behavioural challenges, including autism and dyslexia). These can be either on a one-to-one basis (face-to-face or remotely) or in groups at a central office or out in the community.
Flexible Working - Where required, work flexibly across different locations by undertaking outreach work to make services accessible for service users or even co-locating with other community services. Where required, work flexibly outside of normal office working hours as there may be times when they have to work evenings and weekends if any of their service users are employed and need to be contacted and provided with support outside of these times
Communication - Communicate to a high standard, both verbally and written, using a wide variety of different methods and adapting for different audiences, evaluating the effectiveness for continuous improvement.
Coaching & Mentoring - Coach and mentor service users and colleagues and actively improve coaching and mentoring skills for themselves and others.
Problem Solving & Risk/Crisis Management - Uses advanced problem solving, and negotiation skills to establish win-win situations with service users where possible. Identifying when they might potentially fall out of work and rapidly respond to minimise the risk. Address safeguarding and PREVENT concerns maturely, dealing with service users when they present in crisis, minimising risks/crises in the future through pastoral support and effective risk assessment.
Managing Complex Caseloads - Application of specialist knowledge to deal with particular complex and challenging cases.
Behaviour Management - Anticipate and de-escalate challenging behaviour in service users, managing challenging behaviour as it presents itself using relevant non-clinical behaviour change tools and techniques.
Change Management - Manage change effectively with the on-boarding/off-boarding of contracts and services
Business Development - Identify, seek out and establish business development and commercial opportunities for the organisation including new referral streams. This may include the impact of a move to net carbon zero emission economy by 2050 on the local labour market.
Networking - Network with internal and external customers and key stakeholders to build relationships and identify business opportunities.
Stakeholder Management & Engagement - Build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders to support service delivery by taking a multi-agency and integrated services approach.
Giving Feedback - Give constructive and timely feedback to service users and colleagues.
Evaluation & Critical Analysis - Evaluates and analyses programmes, services and interventions, using data to make recommendations for improvements and to inform service delivery.
Research Skills - Gather labour market, employability and careers information, analyse it, spot trends and patterns, draw conclusions to inform information, advice and guidance given to service users and employers. Research skills are used to further specialism knowledge and experience, as well as to support service design and delivery. This may include the impact of a move to net carbon zero emission economy by 2050 on the local labour market.
Deliver Information, Advice & Guidance - Apply employability, careers and labour market knowledge to deliver high quality information, advice and guidance that is tailored to the needs of the service users and key stakeholders.
Service Delivery - Adheres to company vision, mission and values, embedding them in all service delivery.
Performance Management - Independently manage own performance to meet and exceed minimum service levels, contractual requirements and service level agreements.
ICT & Digital Skills - ICT skills are used for record keeping and digital skills are used to support service users with finding employment through social media and the internet.
Assertiveness - Assertively directs and challenges service users to reach their potential. Will also be used when dealing with key stakeholders.
Manage CPD - Manage your own and support the professional development of others. Promote best practice through learning opportunities as they arise.

Your training plan

On-the-job training delivered by the employer
Apprentices without Level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeships English and mathematics minimum requirement is Entry Level 3
Allocation of an apprenticeship delivery coach who will carry out regular training
Assessment and support visits to ensure you acquire new learning, knowledge, skills and behaviours in order to progress and develop
Identify, track and support 6 hours of off-the-job training activities
Quarterly formal progress review meetings, identifying learning achievements and next steps

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

5 GCSE’s including Maths and English (grade A*-C/ 4-9)

Desirable qualifications

A Level in:

Any subject (grade A - E/Pass Grade)

Other in:

2 years’ work experience or 2 years further educ (grade NA)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Team working
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience

Other requirements

• Prepared to work flexibly to meet the needs of customers and the organisation • Prepared to travel throughout Rochdale, Oldham and other boroughs within Greater Manchester so owning own vehicle would be a benefit. Work fuel costs are covered • Enhanced DBS required

About this company

Positive Steps is a charitable trust that delivers a range of targeted and integrated services for young people, adults and families that recognises the diversity of the people with whom we work. This offer allows us to provide holistic support and create better outcomes and experiences for those we work with. Our teams consist of apprentices, engagement workers, coaches and career advisers. The Careers and Education Directorate work with young people both pre and post 16. Delivering career guidance in schools and working with those young people post 16 who are Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) by providing a combination of careers guidance and practical support including mentoring, coaching and transition support.

http://www.positive-steps.org.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Flexible Working Annual Leave – 26 day annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays Subsidised Parking Cycle to Work Scheme. Workplace Pension. Employee Assistance Programme. Employee Forum.

After this apprenticeship

Positive Steps are committed to clear internal progression pathways adopting a “Grow your own” pathway and developing career pathways that encourage retention.

Career Progression can include progression to Level 6 Career Adviser qualifications and roles.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: