Employment Specialist Connect to Work

Portsmouth City Council; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council’s Connect to Work programme seeks an Employment Specialist to support participants facing barriers to work. You will manage a caseload, provide tailored guidance, and strengthen links with local employers to create sustainable job opportunities.

You will deliver vocational assessments, develop action plans, and monitor progress to help participants retain employment and progress towards their goals.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering employment support, IAG or coaching.
• Ability to build relationships with participants and employers.
• Understanding of barriers to work and person-centred approaches.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of participants and provide one-to-one guidance.
• Identify and broker employment opportunities with local employers.
• Deliver action plans and vocational assessments with participants.
• Provide job retention support and progress reviews post-employment.

Skills

Employer engagement

Caseload management

Vocational assessments

Action planning

Progress reviews

IT literacy

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Portsmouth City Council’s Employment, Learning and Skills service delivers programmes that help local residents overcome barriers to work, including long-term unemployment, disability and health conditions. We support people of all ages, including young people and other excluded or vulnerable groups, to access sustainable employment and help create a more inclusive local workforce

Your new role

As an Employment Specialist within the Connect to Work programme, you will manage a caseload of participants, providing person-centred advice and guidance to help them secure sustainable paid employment that reflects their strengths, needs and preferences. You will also provide support to help participants retain their employment, using a high-fidelity approach for which training will be provided.

You will build positive relationships with local employers, identify suitable employment opportunities and engage with the local community to generate referrals to the programme. This is a varied and rewarding role where you will have the opportunity to make a real difference to people who may face barriers to finding or maintaining employment.

Who is the person summary:

You will be motivated, organised and confident in building positive relationships with participants and employers. You will have:

• Strong employer engagement skills and the ability to identify and negotiate suitable employment opportunities.
• The ability to manage a caseload, undertake vocational assessments and develop action plans with participants.
• The skills to monitor and review progress both before and after participants move into employment.
• The ability to provide job retention support to people who may be at risk of losing their employment.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise your workload, meet deadlines and work towards targets.
• Strong IT skills, including experience using customer databases, Microsoft Word, Excel and Teams.
• The ability to work effectively on your own initiative and as part of a team.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and providing an inclusive service.
• Experience within an

Employment, recruitment or training environment would be desirable. Relevant Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), employment support, coaching or mentoring qualifications would also be beneficial, although we welcome applicants willing to work towards relevant qualifications.

Special Conditions

A driving licence and access to a vehicle for business travel are desirable, as you will regularly visit employers, provide in-work support and may occasionally accompany participants to interviews.

Due to the diversity of our customer base, the need for regular one to one meetings and the flexibility required in delivering our contracts, a basic DBS Check will be required.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Additional Information

This role is based 5 days per week in the Civic Offices/other office, please ensure you can fulfil this prior to submitting your application

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Basic level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard.