Student Adviser

Bedford ESOL; Bedford; On-site; GBP 2,700 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave

People’s Pension

Retail and Leisure Discounts

Development opportunities

Job summary

The Bedford College Group is seeking a Student Adviser at Bedford Campus. The role combines careers guidance, student support and safeguarding, with responsibilities spanning enrolment, progression planning and cross-college programmes.

Salary is DOE between £2,717 and £32,515 per annum, plus 27 days leave, pension and staff benefits; 37 hours per week, permanent contract. Right to work in the UK required and sponsorship is not offered.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Strong organisation and teamwork abilities.
• Experience supporting adults and young people, preferably in education.
• Proficient IT skills: word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
• Friendly, flexible and reliable with safeguarding awareness.

Responsibilities

• Provide impartial careers and educational guidance to students; support progression into further study, higher education or employment.
• Deliver personalised support on pastoral, wellbeing and financial matters including bursaries, learner support, transport, benefits and student finance.
• Assist in the cross-college careers programme and student development activities.
• Promote safeguarding and ensure compliance with college policies and regulatory requirements.
• Deliver excellent customer service while collaborating with curriculum teams and external agencies.

Job description

Role: Student Adviser

Location: Bedford Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £2,717 and £32,515 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks:37 hours per week / 52 weeks per year

Contract Type:Full time - Permanent

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Student Adviser to join our Student Services department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Student Adviser, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Careers Information, Advice & Guidance - Provide impartial careers and educational guidance to current and prospective students, supporting progression into further study, higher education, higher-level skills or employment through one-to-one and group sessions.
• Student Support & Financial Guidance - Deliver personalised support on pastoral, wellbeing and financial matters, including bursaries, learner support, transport, benefits, childcare and student finance, referring students to specialist services where appropriate.
• Careers Programme & Student Development - Support the design and delivery of the cross-college careers programme, research progression opportunities, raise student aspirations and help develop career management and employability skills.
• Safeguarding, Compliance & Quality - Promote safeguarding and child protection, maintain accurate records and information, support staff with safeguarding matters, monitor the impact and quality of services, and ensure compliance with College policies and regulatory requirements.
• Customer Service & Collaborative Working - Deliver excellent customer service while working closely with curriculum teams, Student Services, external agencies and other departments, supporting College-wide activities including enrolment, open days, events, exams and multi-site working.

About you:

• Communication & Customer Service - Strong interpersonal, written and telephone communication skills, with the ability to engage professionally with students, staff, parents and external stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
• Organisation & Teamwork - Excellent administration, planning and organisational skills, with the ability to meet deadlines, solve problems, use initiative and work effectively as part of a wider College team.
• Student-Focused Experience - Experience of supporting adults and young people both one-to-one and in groups, alongside experience in customer-focused environments, organising activities and ideally working within education.
• Qualifications & Digital Skills - Level 2 English and Maths, a relevant Level 3 qualification and a Level 6 Careers, Education, Information, Advice and Guidance qualification or willingness to work towards, alongside strong IT skills including word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
• Personal Qualities & Additional Requirements - Friendly, flexible and reliable, with the ability to motivate others and travel between College sites, plus relevant safeguarding and mental health experience or qualifications and willingness to undertake required training.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: on a date to be confirmed

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsports beside the Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students

The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group’s policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.