1677 - New Entrant Employer Support Adviser - Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire and Cambridge

Job Title: New Entrant Employer Support Adviser

Location: Mobile - Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire and Cambridge 

Permanent Role

Salary: £38,800

Company Car / Car Allowance

CITB aims to lead the construction sector by example to ensure fairness, inclusion, and respect for all. We seek to develop an organisation which reflects Britain’s diverse population, and our main objective is to create a culture that enables our customers to strive towards an organisational community that is reflective of today’s society.

Role Purpose:

Responsibility for:

To be the regional New Entrant Employer Lead, generating new business for CITB and delivering an enhanced support service to employers already employing or considering employing new entrants, including apprentices. This is to be achieved by building and maintaining an effective network or relationships with employers, training providers and local/national stakeholders and CITB partners that support the delivery of CITB’s strategic and business plans – specifically ‘Improving Construction’s People Pipeline’.  The NEST team forms an integral part of the future plan around pipeline development, Provider Networks, Employer Networks and supporting a revised funding delivery model.

Role Accountabilities:

• Plan, implement and evaluate a business development strategy that results in new registrations of employers with CITB. Be responsible for target driven activity that increases the number of new entrants being trained for construction trades and professions through engagement with existing CITB registered employers and new registrations.
  
  
• Plan and execute a strategy for engaging local stakeholders. Connecting local partners and networks to employers to enable the successful recruitment and achievement of both CITB funded and government funded programmes for new entrants.

• Lead the development and maintenance of a regional profile of construction apprenticeship training provision (to include Apprenticeships, FE Construction programmes, T-Levels, skills bootcamps, pre-apprenticeship programmes) through effective engagement of training providers and key stakeholders.

• Working collaboratively with this network to maximise the capacity of apprenticeship delivery – linking with other Advisors to ensure this reflects national delivery across England.  Working with other members of the engagement team to establish gaps in provision.

• Undertake regional and national targeted activities (in line with CITB’s commitment to embed FIR within all initiatives) that increase the diversity of talent pipeline for construction including but not limited to, active collaboration and relationship management with relevant stakeholders and networks, development of resources for employers that support them attract a diverse applicant pool. 

• Maintain and apply specialist knowledge of DfE Apprenticeship Funding Rules, Digital Apprenticeship platforms, Levy Transfer processes, safeguarding of learners and IfATE Apprenticeships Standards and EPA processes to ensure that employers are fully able to commit to the requirements of an apprenticeship programme, select the right programme and provision, and understand their rights and responsibilities and can access information and support. 

• Ensure employers are claiming all funding support available including CITB Apprenticeship Grant, Travel to Train, Levy Transfer and any local initiative funding that may be available. In doing so reducing the number of rejected grant applications and increasing the speed at which grants are authorised. 

• Play an integral link- role into Employer Networks and Provider Networks, forming part of the CIT B local and regional teams supporting the networks to fully service the specific regional needs of employers, matching employers, and applicants in areas of greatest occupational and regional need. 

• Working collaboratively across CITB, plan and deliver engagement events with employers and stakeholders that promote the NEST offer and increases the number of referrals to the team. 

• Lead on progression pipeline with employers to engage with and support work experience opportunities for industries pool of potential new recruits from post 16 pathways including but not limited to FE construction courses and T Levels 

• Use technical expertise and knowledge to support employers with the planning, managing and support to raise retention and achievement success rates to a defined KPI measurement. in line with CITB’s Business and Strategic Plan and CLC’s Industry Skills Plan

• Deliver work-based mentoring training to employers to a defined standard and specified learning outcomes. Support alumni of these courses with ongoing signposting to additional support and identifying progression pathways for mentoring training.

• Facilitate self-managing local forums for employers, training providers and other stakeholders to develop the validity and currency of training provision and deliver updates and outcomes of key NEST findings through evaluation of performance and business data. 

• Manage a schedule of account management contact with employers who have recruited a new entrant to ensure support is available that increases retention and achievement rates of learners, and that generate referrals to the Customer Engagement Team that increase grant aided training uptake. On completion training, the last contact should evidence signposting to progression pathways. 

• Educate employers on the benefits of recruiting an apprentice.

• Use a sophisticated approach to understand the needs, goals and challenges of employers, and demonstrate the value that CITB can provide to them in order to set quality appointments and generate new business.

• Develop strong relationships with potential employers and create opportunities through personalised outreach across a variety of channels - including targeted calls, email, LinkedIn. 

• Effectively manage relationships and prospects pipeline, to allow for accurate forecasting and reporting, and to ensure you meet your KPI’s. 

• Share sales best practice, knowledge and experience with your wider team, helping to build skills and experience for team success. 

• Maintain broad, up to date knowledge and understanding of the full CITB offer including levy, grant and funding products in order to refer customers to Engagement or product colleagues, to enhance the customer experience. 

• Effectively deal with internal and external complaints relating to the NEST service, timely and to a full resolution. 

• Maintain accurate and up to date records of customer engagement using CRM and other reporting tools as appropriate. Provide written narrative and analysis for internal and external audiences.  

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience:

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience or knowledge of publicly funded training contracts, particularly Apprenticeships in England, DfE funding requirements and rules.
• Experience and knowledge of the Ofsted CIF and inspection requirements
• Excellent understanding of the Apprenticeship Service from the employer perspective
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of Safeguarding, signposting and escalation procedures
• Experience of providing advice and signposting to employers covering a broad range of learner needs (e.g. homelessness, mental health needs)
• Thorough knowledge of apprenticeship standards and EPA process for a wide range of apprenticeship standards

 Skills 

• Decision making
• Influencing
• Planning & scheduling own workload
• Time management  
• Working to challenging deadlines
• Highly customer focused
• Proactive
• Mobile working
• Excellent Communication skills
• Willingness to learn and adapt
• Ability to self-manage and motivate
• Excellent and accurate IT skills  
• Mentoring and Coaching

Essential 

• Presentation skills and experience in delivering briefing / training sessions.
• Demonstrable experience in influencing key stakeholders to deliver outcomes.
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills with ability to Influence, challenge, negotiate and to manage conflict and difficult situations.
• Understand and be able to use CRM systems and Information management systems.
• MS office skills packages, using technology such as laptops and tablets.
• Knowledge and experience of learner safeguarding and wellbeing.
• Experience in being responsible for own workload, diary management and working independently to tight schedules.
• Recognised Health & Safety Qualifications, or a commitment to work towards, i.e., SSSTS, in line with contractual requirements.
• Assessment, training or teaching qualification or a willingness to undertake a qualification (Teaching, training & assessing learning L3)
• Educated to A Level standard or equivalent (equivalent being equivalent qualification level or demonstrable practical experience).
• Demonstrable ability in influencing and negotiation.

Desirable  

• CEIAG qualification L4
• Degree in related subject

Special Conditions/Other Requirements:

• This role is a mobile role, with no office base and will involve significant regional travel, on a daily basis.
• Full UK Driving Licence is essential.
• This role requires a flexible approach to working patterns and may involve occasional overnight stays and some national travel.
• CITB is committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of learners and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment to this position in England and Wales is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and in Scotland to an Enhanced Disclosure and registration to the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme through Disclosure Scotland

Benefits:

• 33 days holiday per year (Including bank holidays)
• Flexible benefits including childcare vouchers, cycle to work and insurance
• Pension scheme
• Employee discounts
• Long service awards
• CITB recognition scheme
• Employee assistance programme