Industry Liaison Officer

East Kent College; Ashford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 26 days

L&D opportunities

Flexible personal leave

Pension 18%

Discounts & perks

Wellbeing support

Culture & recognition

Job summary

East Kent Colleges Group is seeking two Industry Liaison Officers to bridge the student-employer gap within the Building Services and Engineering department at Ashford College. You will secure and monitor work placements, manage employer relations, and support students in developing employability skills for industry placements.

You will coordinate employer events, ensure timely documentation, and work with students individually or in small groups to prepare them for successful placements.

Qualifications

• A Level 3 qualification in a relevant subject is desirable.
• Experience in employer relations or work placements is advantageous.
• Ability to identify and develop employability skills gaps with students.

Responsibilities

• Secure and monitor progress of work placements for students.
• Act as the main contact for employer relations in the specified curriculum areas.
• Plan and implement employer events and organise employer visits for students.
• Ensure employers return required documentation promptly per college guidelines.
• Support students one-to-one and in small groups to develop employability skills for industry placements.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Excellent communication

Organised

Teamwork

Education

Level 3 qualification desirable

Job description

About The Role

Bridge the Student - Employer Gap and Empower Students Futures - Join us as an Industry Liaison Officer

EKC Group are seeking an Industry Liaison Officer to join the Building Services and Engineering department at Ashford College. As an Industry Liaison Officer (ILO) at EKC Group you would be responsible for securing and monitoring progress of work placements in varied vocational areas for students and to act as the main point of contact for employer relations for these areas. This can include supporting the planning and implementation of employer events for organising employer visits for students.

Your role responsibilities would also include ensuring employers return the required documentation in a timely fashion following college guidelines and national expectations as well as working with students on a one to one and small group basis to identify their employability skills gaps and supporting them to develop them to be able to complete a successful industry placement.

Benefits

• Generous Annual Leave - 26 days (FTE) per annum- +3 days after 5 years
• Learning and Development Opportunities: 3-4 annual paid group development days, bespoke programmes e.g. First Line Manager Development Programme and strong internal progression-1 in 3 roles are filled internally
• Flexible Personal Leave - Time off for your child's first day at nursery or school, moving homes and for interviews
• Competitive Pension Scheme - 18% employer contribution
• Exclusive Discounts & Perks - Inc. restaurant, grocery, retail and holidays discounts as well as car leasing and tech purchasing schemes
• Wellbeing and Health Support - Generous sick pay, counselling services, discounted gym membership at Canterbury College, free eye tests and glasses vouchers, flexible support for medical appointments and return-to-work support
• Culture and Recognition - Being part of Community Days, an Annual Staff Celebration Day, and an eco-friendly organisation dedicated to reaching net-zero by 2030
• Please note that there are two positions available: one is a 52-week, year-round position, and the other is a 38-week, term-time position, with the salary and annual leave entitlement pro-rated accordingly.

About You

We are seeking to appoint two Industry Liaison Officers with excellent interpersonal skills and who possess excellent communication skills both verbal and written. You will be highly organised and be able to prioritise work whilst applying a flexible and responsive approach to work demands.

You will have an inquisitive and analytical approach to work. You will be able to display an attention to detail, be able to work independently working on your own initiative and as part of a team. A level 3 qualification in a relevant subject is desirable, alternatively experience of working in a relevant sector and a willingness to obtain a relevant level 3 qualification will be considered.

The roles will include liaising with employers and students from Introduction to College, Electrical, Engineering and Plumbing curriculum areas.

If you have experience of working in this field along with a passion for sharing your knowledge and expertise with the future generation this position will be ideal for you.

If you are interested in an informal chat about the role, or have any queries, please email us on [e-mail]

About Us

Outstanding Ofsted Provider

East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider. It is proud to be the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to have received the Outstanding grade against each of the strands under the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group and this is illustrated in our ‘Strong’ skills grading by Ofsted.

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles.

As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self-declaration, Enhanced DBS check and obtaining sufficient referencing.

It is a criminal offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so.

If you are successful in being shortlisted to interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process.

Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

East Kent Colleges Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our staff body and encourage applications from candidates where there is underrepresentation in our workforce.

We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. With any successful candidate, we will explore any reasonable adjustments to a role due to a health needs or disability.

Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) with a commitment to interview applicants who meet the positions essential criteria and who have declared this on their application.

We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break.

We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in-house recruitment team.