ROLE PROFILE

Role Title /

Blue Skies Manager

/ Grade / Salary / £26,000 - £27,500
1 year fixed term contract renewable annually subject to funding.
Responsible to / Chief Executive Officer and Trustees of the Jon Egging Trust / Responsible for / Youth Liaison Officers, Blue Skies volunteers (military and civilian)
Role Purpose
Blue Skies is the Jon Egging Trust's youth engagement programme which supports vulnerable young people who are underperforming in school to realise their full potential by connecting them with inspirational individuals and training resources linked to aviation. We developed the Blue Skies methodology in 2011 working with young people in Lincolnshire and since then it has been extended to four other regions (Norfolk, Yorkshire, Dorset and North Wales). Each level of the programme involves ten day-long sessions over a three month period. During this time the young people are guided by mentors through problem solving, teamwork and communication tasks, all designed to boost skills in these areas. Level 1 focuses on teamwork and works with young people aged 13, a year later the same young people participate in Level 2 which builds leadership skills. In the final year of the three year programme the students are placed on a 1-2 week work experience programme which is tailored to their future aspirations.
The Blue Skies Manager will be responsible for overseeing the planning, facilitation and evaluation of the Blue Skies programme across the county. They will be directly responsible for the management of the Youth Liaison Officers who are recruited in each region to manage the day to day running (and where necessary the facilitation) of the programmes in collaboration with aviation and school partners. The post holder will ensure that the YLOs are aware of the learning objectives of each phrase of the programme and are responsible for managing the YLOs to ensure that those learning objectives are met and that the quality of the programmes being run across the country are consistently high. The Blue Skies Manager will also be responsible for ensuring that evaluation data is collected and collated in the appropriate way. The Blue Skies Manager will also have responsibility for working with the YLOs to ensure that key partnerships with major Blue Skies stakeholders are maintained (ie key contacts at the schools and military partners) and that new relationships with important stakeholders are developed in consultation with the CEO.
The Blue Skies manager will work closely with the CEO to keep abreast of the changing educational landscape as well as the opportunities available, to continually enhance the Blue Skies programme and to adapt strategies to develop it and other youth engagement programmes accordingly.
Key Responsibilities
To work with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with overall responsibility for overseeing the effective planning, delivery and evaluation of the Blue Skies programme in all regions and to maximise opportunities for the charity to engage and inspire young people
  1. Logistics and Blue Skies programme management

  • Liaise with all stakeholders to plan and produce timetables of activities for all Blue Skies programmes taking place nationally at all levels of the programme.
  • Manage and oversee liaison between activity providers and schools in collaboration with the YLOs.
  • Ability to give a very good first impression and form good relationships with partners
  • To deal with routine enquires involving schools and service providers.
  • To oversee the YLOs visits to schools and engagement partners and to assist them to plan effectively, taking into consideration the resource needs and expectations of the service providers’ venues (such as timings, available space and equipment).
  • To manage own schedule of opportunities and appointments, planning use of time and travel as efficiently as possible.
  • Provide timely updates to the CEO and Trustees on plans and activities for all levels of the Blue Skies programme.
  • To work with the Fundraising Manager to provide information on the programme to support applications for sustainable funding.

  1. Blue Skies programme development

  • To work with the CEO to follow up, secure and develop new stakeholder leads.
  • Develop and maintain partnerships to actively grow the Blue Skies offer and develop other youth engagement opportunities.
  • Keep abreast of the changing educational landscape and how it impacts on youth engagement programmes. Adapt the Blue Skies programme accordingly and develop new programmes in consultation with the CEO.

  1. Evaluation

  • To oversee and monitor the implementation of an evaluation framework for the Blue Skies programme.

  1. Management and coordination of staff

  • To provide leadership, supervision and support to YLOs.
  • To work with the Board, CEO and YLOs to ensure that the organisation’s mission is delivered and statutory and regulatory duties are observed.
  • Where necessary to assist the CEO with the recruitment of new YLOs.
  • To use networking opportunities and in consultation with the CEO develop training for JET staff and volunteers to share good practice and to develop and promote innovative ideas for maximising value.

  1. Culture

  • To ensure that all services are delivered in accordance with the organisation’s responsibilities under health and safety, child protection and safeguarding legislation.
  • To promote diversity and equality of opportunity in all of the Jon Egging Trust’s work and practices.

  1. Accreditation

  • To oversee the implementation of the young people gaining accredited learning (working in partnership with the schools)
  • To regularly review the Blue Skies level 1,2 and 3 curriculum specifications according to the exam board requirements and to replace with a more suitable accreditation where necessary.

  1. Finance

  • To consult with the board and CEO to manage an annual Blue Skies budget.

  1. Communication/Ambassadorial

  • To embrace the Jon Egging Trust’s ethos for acting as a resource for young people to advance in life by developing their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals.
  • To represent the Jon Egging Trust and advocate its vision, values and beliefs.
  • Ability to act as an effective, authentic and credible advocate for the Blue Skies programme with the ability to inspire and motivate staff, volunteers and programme beneficiaries.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE JON EGGING TRUST

About the Trust:

The Jon Egging Trust was set up in the autumn of 2011 as a legacy to the ambition of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging to support young people to achieve their potential. Jon tragically lost his life on 20 August that year whilst completing a display at the Bournemouth Air Festival. He was coming to the end of his first year with the world-famous Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team “The Red Arrows” flying in the number 4 position.

Jon was passionate about inspiring young people through his love of flying and enthusiasm for teamwork. The Jon Egging Trust was created by Jon's wife Dr Emma Egging together with his mother Dawn Egging, childhood friend James Godley and Red Arrows' pilot, and good friend, Ben Plank.
The Trust's mission is to ensure that through the Blue Skies programme Jon's positive ethos and approach to life lives on.

The Blue Skies Programme:

The Jon Egging Trust creates new accredited learning opportunities for young people from challenging backgrounds who are under-achieving at school. The Trust links them with inspirational individuals and training environments connected to aviation, providing them with life and work skills through the Blue Skies programme.

The Jon Egging Trust’s Blue Skies Programme creates partnerships and develops teamwork and leadership opportunities to support disadvantaged young people, aged 12 - 16, to achieve their full potential.

The programme involves up to ten, day-long sessions over a three month period, creating partnerships with military and civilian enterprises. The Blue Skies programme nurtures confidence and self-belief, whilst providing accredited training in work and life skills.

Throughout the programme, participants are guided by mentors through problem solving, teamwork and communication tasks, all designed to boost skills in these areas.

Following the huge success of our pilot scheme, the Jon Egging Trust’s Blue Skies programme is now reaching out to Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Dorset, Yorkshire and North Wales.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROLE

Our Values

Our values are at the very core of all the work we undertake and include:

  • Inspiration
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Fairness and Equality – valuing the individual
  • Raising Aspirations
  • Determination

How the Trust raises money:

At present the Jon Egging Trust does not receive any Government funding and currently relies on donations from the public. Each Blue Skies programme costs approximately £4,500 to run. The programme takes10 days to complete - a donation of £30 would cover the costs of one young person’s day on the programme.

Working arrangements

The successful candidate will be based from home. They will be expected to attend planning and strategy meetings at military bases and corporate organisations in different national locations.

The post holder is required to hold a full UK driving licence. The nature of this post requires that the successful candidate will need to drive to various partner locations around the country.

Travel and expenses

Travel expenses will be reimbursed at a cost of25p per mile. The cost of reasonable overnight accommodation when necessary will also be covered.

Working hours

There are no normal working hours for this employment and the successful candidate is required to work at such times and for such periods as are necessary for the efficient discharge of their duties.

Annual Leave

All staff will receive a generous basic annual leave entitlement of 28 days plus bank holidays. Staff with over 10 years’ service with the charity will be entitled to 30 days leave plus bank holidays.

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