Graduate Trainee (Adult Skills & Employability)

Exeter College; Exeter; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Exeter College is seeking a Graduate Trainee for Adult Skills & Employability to help coordinate a new team delivering employability support across Devon. You will liaise with Jobcentre Plus, local authorities and employers, manage learner referrals, enrolments and records, and help programmes run smoothly.

The role emphasizes learning, increasing responsibility, and steering projects toward impactful outcomes within the College's strong regional network.

Qualifications

• You don't need a background or qualification in employability for this role.
• But what you do need is an impressive academic record, some administration or customer service experience, and a reputation for getting things done.
• If you're eager to learn, enjoy working with people and want a career that makes a genuine difference, this could be right up your street.

Responsibilities

• act as office coordinator for a new team dedicated to helping people into employment.
• You'll support the delivery of employability and adult skills programmes across Devon.
• You could be coordinating learner referrals from Jobcentre Plus, organising enrolments, maintaining records, arranging workshops and events, supporting compliance requirements and helping learners overcome barriers to progression.
• You'll work closely with a wide range of partners including Jobcentre Plus, local authorities, community organisations and employers.
• You'll become the first point of contact for many enquiries and play a key role in ensuring programmes run smoothly.
• You'll be mentored by experienced managers and given responsibility as soon as you're ready.
• Over time, you'll begin leading projects, managing partner relationships and helping shape the development of employability programmes across the College.
• If everything goes well, we'd expect you to take ownership of larger projects, build specialist expertise in employability and adult skills, and start progressing towards a management, coaching or partnership-development role within the College.

Skills

Administration experience

Customer service experience

Attention to detail

Microsoft Office

Communication skills

Education

Graduate with strong academic record

Tools

Microsoft Office

Digital systems

Job description

Graduate Trainee (Adult Skills & Employability)

Hours

Hours Full time, 37 hours per week

Contract Type

Contract Type Permanent

Location

Location Exeter

Closing Date

Closing Date 27/09/2026

Job Description and Person Specification

You don't need a background or qualification in employability for this role. But what you do need is an impressive academic record, some administration or customer service experience, and a reputation for getting things done. If you're eager to learn, enjoy working with people and want a career that makes a genuine difference, this could be right up your street. You'll act as office coordinator for a new team dedicated to helping people into employment.

What's in it for you?

• Join a friendly team in a Sunday Times Best Company
• Develop skills in project management, partnership working and learner support
• Make a real difference to people's lives and career prospects
• Take on increasing responsibility and lead your own projects
• Work directly with Jobcentre Plus, local authorities and community organisations
• Based in beautiful Devon, with Dartmoor and the coast on your doorstep
• Join one of the UK's biggest and best colleges, with over 10,000 students and 1,200 staff

You'll need to be:

• enthusiastic, positive and resilient
• highly organised with great attention to detail
• a graduate with a strong academic track record
• confident speaking to people at all levels
• comfortable managing multiple priorities
• proactive and solutions-focused
• committed to helping others succeed
• confident using Microsoft Office and digital systems
• willing to learn quickly and take on responsibility

In your first year

You'll support the delivery of employability and adult skills programmes across Devon. You could be coordinating learner referrals from Jobcentre Plus, organising enrolments, maintaining records, arranging workshops and events, supporting compliance requirements and helping learners overcome barriers to progression.

You'll work closely with a wide range of partners including Jobcentre Plus, local authorities, community organisations and employers. You'll become the first point of contact for many enquiries and play a key role in ensuring programmes run smoothly.

You'll be mentored by experienced managers and given responsibility as soon as you're ready. Over time, you'll begin leading projects, managing partner relationships and helping shape the development of employability programmes across the College.

In year 2

If everything goes well, we'd expect you to take ownership of larger projects, build specialist expertise in employability and adult skills, and start progressing towards a management, coaching or partnership-development role within the College.

Interested? What are you waiting for?

A mbition, C ollaboration, E nergy. These are our values. Watch this short video to learn more.

And see what our staff have to say here .

We'll give you incredibly generous holidays and a superb pension scheme. You'll also get a package of amazing benefits, including free counselling and discounted supermarket shopping, spa treatments, electric cars and paddleboarding. Read more on our careers page .

Everyone’s welcome to apply for a role here, regardless of personal characteristics, including race, age, gender, religion, ability, disability, or sexuality.

We're totally committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all our students, and we expect you to be too. We follow safer recruitment statutory guidance (Keeping Children Safe in Education). If you're successful, you'll be required to complete thorough pre-employment checks , including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. All posts at Exeter College are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (amended 2013 and 2020)) mean that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ's guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications, related exceptions and further information.

*The paid holidays quoted include at least 7 Christmas closure days and 8 bank holidays

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Sunday 27th September 2026 at midnight.

Interviews will be held in Exeter on Monday 5th October 2026 .