Early Careers Manager

Wates Smartspace; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Career development opportunities

Competitive salary

Impactful role in shaping talent

Job summary

WPS is seeking an experienced Early Careers Manager to lead and evolve our Early Careers strategy across apprenticeships, traineeships and graduate pathways. You will manage the full lifecycle and partner with Talent Acquisition to attract diverse talent.

Reporting to the Head of Learning & Development, you will drive levy funding utilisation, manage qualification programmes and create impactful development opportunities that align with business growth.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading Early Careers, Apprenticeship, Graduate or Trainee programmes.
• Strong knowledge of Apprenticeship Levy funding, CITB grants and apprenticeship standards.
• Experience maximising apprenticeship levy utilisation and securing value from available funding opportunities.
• Experience managing professional qualifications, academic development pathways and chartership routes.
• Strong knowledge of workforce planning, talent pipelines and future skills requirements.
• Experience designing and delivering successful apprenticeship, trainee or graduate development programmes.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and operational teams.
• Strong budget management experience.
• Advanced Excel and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop the Early Careers strategy across apprenticeships, traineeships and graduate pathways.
• Manage the full Early Careers lifecycle from attraction to qualification completion and career progression.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to create inclusive attraction campaigns.
• Identify and manage relationships with colleges, universities, training providers and industry partners.
• Monitor apprentice and trainee performance and provide guidance to managers and learners.
• Design and enhance trainee development programmes, professional pathways and chartership opportunities.
• Manage networking events, inductions, professional development activities and STEM initiatives.
• Maximise utilisation of the Apprenticeship Levy, CITB funding and other funding streams.
• Manage professional and academic qualification programmes and associated budgets.
• Produce insightful workforce, performance and ROI reporting.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Advanced Excel

Data reporting

Talent development

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Early Careers Manager

Shape the Future Talent of WPS

Are you passionate about developing the next generation of talent?

At WPS, we're investing in the future of our workforce and are looking for an experienced Early Careers Manager to lead and evolve our Early Careers strategy across the business. This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of our apprenticeship, trainee and graduate programmes, ensuring we continue to attract, develop and retain exceptional talent whilst building strong talent pipelines for the future.

Reporting to the Head of Learning & Development, you'll play a pivotal role in designing and delivering our Early Careers strategy, maximising apprenticeship levy funding, managing professional qualifications and creating innovative development programmes that support both individual careers and business growth.

Finsbury Park, London
WPS
Hybrid Working Available
Full Time | Permanent

What You'll Be Doing

• Developing and delivering the WPS Early Careers Strategy across apprenticeships, traineeships and graduate pathways
• Managing the full early careers lifecycle, from attraction and recruitment through to qualification completion and career progression
• Partnering with Talent Acquisition to create engaging attraction campaigns that support diversity, inclusion and social value objectives
• Identifying and managing relationships with colleges, universities, training providers and industry partners
• Monitoring apprentice and trainee performance, providing guidance and support to managers and learners
• Designing and enhancing trainee development programmes, professional pathways and chartership opportunities
• Managing networking events, inductions, professional development activities and STEM initiatives
• Maximising utilisation of the Apprenticeship Levy, CITB funding and other available funding streams
• Managing professional and academic qualification programmes and associated budgets
• Producing insightful workforce, performance and ROI reporting to support strategic talent decisions

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience leading Early Careers, Apprenticeship, Graduate or Trainee programmes
• Strong understanding of Apprenticeship Levy funding, CITB grants and apprenticeship standards
• Experience maximising apprenticeship levy utilisation and securing value from available funding opportunities
• Experience managing professional qualifications, academic development pathways and chartership routes
• Strong knowledge of workforce planning, talent pipelines and future skills requirements
• Experience designing and delivering successful apprenticeship, trainee or graduate development programmes
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and operational teams
• Strong commercial awareness and budget management experience
• Advanced Excel and reporting skills with the ability to analyse and present meaningful workforce data
• Passion for developing future talent and creating outstanding learner experiences

Why Join WPS?

At WPS, we're committed to investing in our people and creating career opportunities that have a lasting impact.

What You'll Get

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Hybrid working opportunities
• Excellent career development opportunities
• Opportunity to shape and lead our Early Careers strategy
• Responsibility for a significant apprenticeship levy investment
• Opportunity to build social value through meaningful career pathways

At WPS, we believe in developing potential, creating opportunities and building careers that make a difference. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

WPS is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at [e-mail]