Modern Day Work Experience Lead

Hertfordshire County Council; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire County Council’s Careers Hub team seeks a Modern Day Work Experience Lead to manage a caseload of Alternative Provision settings and shape the delivery of modern work experience across Hertfordshire. The role focuses on closing the disadvantage gap, building employer relationships, and delivering strategic activity in a hybrid Stevenage setting.

You will work with schools, employers and the Careers Hub to drive system-wide improvements, supported by data sources like ILR, Compass

Qualifications

• Experience developing and implementing strategic plans and projects.
• Ability to influence and engage a wide range of stakeholders including education leaders, employers and local authority partners.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex ideas clearly and confidently.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with a caseload of Alternative Provision settings, c10 institutions.
• Develop the strategy and activity relating to demand, supply, quality and process of experiences.
• Build relationships between local and national employers and schools caseload.
• Support employers to host meaningful Equalex-ready experiences for disadvantaged learners.
• Identify administration issues experienced by educators in arranging modern experiences and link to national systems.

Skills

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Communication

MS Excel

Job description

Job Introduction

Job Title: Modern Day Work Experience Lead

Starting Salary: £38,220 progressing to £41,771 per annum (pro rata for part time) - Pay award pending

Hours: 37

Location: Stevenage - Hybrid

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until 31st August 2027

Directorate: Growth & Environment

About the team

Hertfordshire Futures is a dynamic partnership between businesses and the public sector, driving sustainable economic growth across the county. It is the leading voice for the Hertfordshire's economy, setting the strategic direction to accelerate business growth, job creation, innovation and investment.

The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is the national body for careers education in England, supporting schools and colleges to deliver modern, 21st-century careers education. CEC coordinates and funds a network of Careers Hubs, bringing together schools, colleges, employers, and apprenticeship providers to improve career preparation for young people.

In Hertfordshire, Careers Hub delivery is led by Hertfordshire Futures under a grant agreement with CEC, in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Services for Young People. The strategic focus for the Hertfordshire Careers Hub includes delivering impactful careers education, targeting inclusion, and building a sustainable system for high-impact careers education.

About the role

Work directly with a caseload of Alternative Provision settings, c10 institutions (complimenting EC and existing Hub support)

These alternative provisions are expected to be those in greatest need of support (primarily defined by their current benchmark 6 position, their rates of Free School Meals or other indicators of disadvantage, their responses to the Education Insights Survey and the overall diagnostic by the Hub, and "Theme 5" in the Individual Learning Review (ILR)).

Support modernisation of the wider "system", beginning with those schools in the caseload

Interventions include developing the strategy and activity relating to the demand, supply, quality and process of experiences, particularly in closing the disadvantage gap. Building on the foundations of the work done with schools in the specific caseload. CEC appreciates that this strand will require a whole Hub approach. Activities will be aimed at students led by the institution but likely to be predominantly be years 9-11 aligned to the Equalex outcomes and mapped to the Employer Standards.

A range of data will support this work, including Compass Survey data, FSQ, Employer Standards and ILR data.

Importance of leadership:

• Preparing the system to help support the alternative provisions work towards a guarantee for modern work experience is a strategic priority for Careers Hubs. Hub Leads (or senior individual) will need to retain overall accountability for their Hub's progress on this agenda, ensuring long-term sustainability of their approach.

Ability to work with Employers:

• Build relationships between local/national employers and the school caseload.


• Support employers to be targeted in their approach.


• Upskill employers to host meaningful equalex-ready experiences to deliver activity for disadvantaged young people overcoming barriers and behaviour challenges with the c10 schools identified.


• Support employers and develop resources to ensure their understanding of the make it meaningful criteria and to develop innovate opportunities that align to the equalex framework, leaving a legacy to the APs post project.


• Stimulate more employers including from growth sectors, to support meaningful WEx opportunities working in partnership with the wider Hub team and Future Ready Project Lead.


• Mobilise business volunteers and Cornerstone employers towards the WEx guarantee, specifically but not exclusively for the school caseload.


• Consider the role that procurement and social value can play in a modernised WEx system now and in the future.


• Identify administration issues experienced by employers in arranging modern experiences. Challenge and reduce these as well as linking to national systems and supporting their implementation locally.

Ability to work with schools/education:

• Support the school caseload to assess current provision against the equalex framework, internal leadership review ILR and new Gatsby benchmark requirements. Identify opportunities, strategies and relationships to enhance existing and new provision, which can be embedded in the curriculum working with SLT.


• Use data from school's ILR and engage with peer-to-peer opportunities to better understand their current need and gaps, assuring experiences' provision for all - including for the most disadvantaged learners.


• Work to support the effective commissioning of high quality, modern WEx provision including through the use of relevant data.


• Build a Hub/LA-wide action plan within the Hub Plan, focusing on local responses to issues such as administrative challenges, supply of opportunities and commitment from schools this year and for the future.


• Use local communities of practice to help schools explore and share best practice relating to the delivery of modern work experience.


• Support schools to capture and use data sources to evidence the progression of a modernised WEx provision.


• Identify administration issues experienced by educators in arranging modern experiences. Challenge and reduce these as well as linking to national systems and supporting their implementation locally.

System:

• Utilise tested models, recommended approaches and system-wide insight in the building of a local modernised system.


• Generate local interest and awareness of the need for change and early promote best practice.


• Embed local systems and arrangements into a modern work experience model within the school caseload.


• Support the identification of CPD needs in relation to the provision of a WEx guarantee.


• Support the roll out and adoption of any digital tools that assist with employer relationships and health and safety.


• Feedback to CEC, engage as the local representative with CEC and support the distribution of WEx messaging from DfE and CEC.

For all aspects:

• Participate in a national community of improvement to support system development and share best practice.

About you

Essential

• Experience of developing and implementing strategic plans and projects.


• Ability to influence and engage a wide range of stakeholders including education leaders, employers and local authority partners.


• Experience of building and maintaining productive employer relationships.


• Strong understanding of stakeholder engagement and partnership working.


• Ability to interpret and utilise data to identify priorities, support decision-making and measure impact.


• Experience of identifying needs, opportunities and areas for improvement using evidence and diagnostic tools.


• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex ideas clearly and confidently.


• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied caseload and multiple priorities.


• Competence in using Microsoft Excel and reporting systems.

Desirable

• Experience of working with Alternative Provision settings, SEND learners or vulnerable young people.


• Knowledge of careers education, Gatsby Benchmarks and the Equalex Framework.


• Project or programme management experience.


• Experience of delivering training, CPD or workforce development activities.


• Experience of leading innovation, pilot programmes or service improvement initiatives.

Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date should we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 10. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Community services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact [e-mail] for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: week commencing 7th September 2026

Secondment

This role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC. If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager's approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form. If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed-term contract that would end before this positions ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed-term contract basis instead.

Additional information

We are changing

Hertfordshire County Councilis undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings - Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.