Job Title / Trainee Careers Adviser / Grade / Intern
Reports To / Team Leader / Location / Various
Direct Reports / n/a / Directorate/Team / Operations
Purpose of the Job:
The Trainee Career Adviser role enables graduate level entrants the opportunity to develop a career in Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) whilst undertaking practical on-job training and professional development and undertaking the Qualification in Career Guidance and Development (QCGD).
The Trainee Career Adviser will be mentored and supported to work either in a school setting, a post school settingencompassing both 16-19 unemployed orwork with age 20+ customers (or undertake a flexible role encompassing all customer groups). Upon accreditation as a Careers Adviser, job holders may deliver a career coach or work coach service so the Trainee may be required to undertake some Key Worker duties during their period of development.
The CIAG services delivered to either school or post school customer groups of all ages will develop and strengthenthe customer’s Career Management Skills.The Trainee Career Adviser will provide a personalised service which is facilitative and responsive to a variety of learning and decision making styles which will ultimately lead to greater customer empowerment and ownership of their own career path.
Context of the Job:
Working alongside other stakeholders and partners, Skills Development Scotland has a central contribution to make in delivering the government’s priorities for action within ‘Skills for Scotland’ – developing people, assisting employers and helping to improve the accessibility and coherence of learning and training opportunities.SDS provides Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) services across a variety of settings including schools, FE Colleges, SDS Centres and partner premises (including DWP). SDS is geographically split across 5 regions in Scotland, with teamsdispersed across local authority areas. This Trainee role provides graduate level candidates with an opportunity to develop a career within Skills Development Scotland and to undertake a sponsored accredited qualification over a 2 year period. Objectives and development plans will be put in place to facilitate progression of practical skills and the Trainee will be appointed a Lead Mentor to oversee their development on the job.
Dimensions of the Job:
The Trainee Career Adviser will be part of a multi disciplinaryteam. There is regular travel within the area to meet the internal and external requirements of the role.
Working Relationships and Key Contacts:
  • Customers
  • Personal Advisers
  • Careers Advisers – who deliver a career coach service
  • Key Workers – who provide a work coach service
  • Team Leader
  • Appropriate learning provider for accredited study
  • School pupil Support Teams
  • Learning Providers and Colleges
  • Job Centre Plus
  • Voluntary Sector
  • Community Learning and Development
  • External partners such as Social Work and Health professionals

Key Accountabilities:
The Trainee Career Adviser will undertake distance learning to complete the Qualification in Career Guidance and Development over 2years. A work based development programme will be created to allow progression to a Career Adviser role within 2 years. The Trainee Career Adviser will be mentored and supported and work under the direction of a Lead Mentor for the period of their 2 year fixed term Traineeship. Year 1 will primarily be focussed on developing the core skills required for a Career Adviser. Year 2 will see the Trainee Career Adviser begin to take more responsibility in line with the Career Adviser role.
Year 1
  • Develop awareness of SDS products and services
  • Support the client contact team within the centre, building skills and experience of customer interventions
  • Under the supervision of a mentor/lead mentor, provide coaching services for customers on a one-to-one basis and group basis
  • Build a constructive and purposeful relationship with SDS customers across the schools and support coaching interventions and the delivery of group interventions
  • Develop own knowledge and practical understanding of Career Management Skills and behaviours and empower customers to develop their own Career Management Skills
  • Develop a coaching approach to guidance
  • Develop own knowledge and understanding of Career and Labour Market Intelligence and be able to articulate this to customers
  • Support the development and delivery of group interventions in schools and to post school customers
  • Develop a sound knowledge of the SDS web service,MyWoW, and support the promotion of this with customers
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date customer records using the appropriate SDS systems
  • Develop good partnership relationships which are relevant to a customers situation, referring and attending meetings where appropriate
  • Develop understanding of Standard Operating Procedures and practically apply these
  • Carry out centre based duties as directed and handle general public enquiries
  • Support activities of colleagues within the team to develop an understanding of the Personal Adviser and Key Worker job roles
  • Undertake necessary training and development to develop Career Adviser skills
Year 2
  • Provide coaching services for customers on a one-to-one basis within a dedicated school, developing relationships with customers and school contacts
  • Manage a caseload of customers with the support of the Lead Mentor where required
  • Deliver group interventions as appropriate to customers to develop their Career Management Skills with approved SDS processes and resources
  • Continue to develop your own coaching approach to guidance, demonstrating skills learned through effective engagement with customers
  • Conduct and recordin-depth assessments of customer needs in relation to the development of their career management skills
  • Facilitate customers to develop and review their own Career Development Plan
  • Under the supervision of a mentor/lead mentor, provide additional support to customers with more complex needs and barriers to progress their career management journey
  • Support customers at the point of transition into employment or a learning/training opportunity
  • Continue to develop partnership skills and relationships relevant to the customers situation, referring and attending meetings where appropriate
  • With support of the mentor/lead mentor, build capability across schools and other partners regarding career management skills and their role in delivery
  • Ensure accurate customer records are maintained and produce reports as necessary
  • Contribute to team and regional development and continuous improvement processes

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications (need to know) / Behaviours (need to be)
Essential / Essential
  • Need or must be predicted to have at least a 2:2 degree with a genuine interest and motivation to work as a Careers Adviser
  • Has ability for further study while working in the role
  • Willingness to understand emerging theories of career choices and how to apply these to professional practice
  • An interest in, and knowledge and awareness of current Career and Labour Market Intelligence (LMI)
/
  • A strong work ethic with commitment to own career development
  • Strives to deliver optimum results for their customers
  • ‘Can do’ approach
  • Able to develop constructive relationships at all levels
  • Ability to be flexible in approach in order to cope with changing demands
  • Networks effectively to maximise opportunities for customers
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Effective networking skills to support external and internal relationships
  • Ability to self manage and also to work as part of a team
  • Able to successfully manage conflicting priorities
  • Perseveres to achieve success
  • Solution focussed
  • Strong focus on continuous improvement and takes ownership of personal development
  • Shares best practice
  • Develops creative solutions to engage and motivate customers

Desirable
  • Experience of working in a customer focussed environment
  • Experience of partnership working
  • Understanding of Curriculum for Excellence and Opportunities for All

Other
PVG is also required to perform the role. / Aspire Competencies:
  • Job and Professional Knowledge
  • Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Customer Focus
  • Communication and Interpersonal
  • Planning & Organising
  • Personal accountability
  • Negotiation & Influencing
  • Innovation & Creativity