Student Progression Mentor

East Kent College; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 20,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Canterbury is seeking a Student Progression Mentor to support students in their personal and academic development. Responsibilities include mentoring disaffected young people and maintaining thorough documentation. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication and record-keeping skills, as well as experience supporting mental health issues. This role offers a competitive salary with numerous professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Learning and Development Opportunities

Exclusive Discounts & Perks

Flexible Personal Leave

Wellbeing and Health Support

Competitive Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Proactive and motivated to support students.
• Ability to deal effectively with students and external agencies.
• Commitment to supporting diverse student needs.

Responsibilities

• Support students in personal and academic development.
• Maintain accurate documentation of student interactions.
• Provide mentorship to disaffected and disengaged young people.

Skills

Excellent communication

Empathy

Record-keeping skills

Flexibility in work tasks

Education

Experience supporting young people with mental health difficulties

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About The Role

Support Students, Unlock Potential, Empower Success – Join us as Student Progression Mentor. As a Student Progression Mentor at EKC Canterbury College, you will play a key role supporting students in their personal and academic development, helping them to reach their full potential as independent learners.

Your responsibilities will also include support for disaffected and disengaged young people, helping them to optimise their learning opportunities.

Mentoring at EKC is a rewarding role offering the successful applicant opportunities to gain qualifications in Mental Health First Aid, Autism Awareness, Counselling Concepts, Safeguarding & DUST Referrals.

Hours per week: 37
Weeks per year: 38
Salary: £19,611
Holiday pay: £2,646

Benefits

• All holidays off
• Learning and Development Opportunities – 3‑4 annual paid group development days, bespoke programmes such as the Next Steps Mentoring Programme and strong internal progression opportunities (1 in 3 roles filled internally)
• Exclusive Discounts & Perks – inc. restaurant, grocery, retail and holiday discounts as well as car leasing and tech purchasing schemes, on‑site nursery
• Flexible Personal Leave – time off for your child's first day at nursery, school or college, moving homes and for interviews
• Wellbeing and Health Support – generous sick pay, counselling services, discounted gym membership at Canterbury College
• Culture and Recognition – community days, an annual Staff Celebration Day and an eco‑friendly organisation dedicated to reaching net‑zero by 2030
• Competitive Pension Scheme – 18% employer contribution

About You

We are seeking to appoint a proactive and motivated Student Progression Mentor to become part of our team.

You will have excellent communication skills and be committed to ensuring our students are supported to achieve and progress throughout their time at College. You must have the ability to deal effectively with students, relevant professions (including external agencies), parents and colleagues.

You will also be responsible for ensuring that all documentation and details of contact are recorded and reported to the relevant staff and departments.

The role can be challenging and requires the post holder to be empathetic, supportive and non‑judgmental. Experience of supporting young people with mental health difficulties would be a distinct advantage.

Excellent record‑keeping skills are essential, as is competency in computer programmes such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. You will need to have a flexible approach to your work as the tasks demanded can change from day to day.

If you feel this role suits your skills, experience and aspirations to support our students, we look forward to hearing from you.

No need to spend time updating your CV – just click Apply and complete our short application form. You can save your progress as you go, and we’ll review all applications and get back to all candidates after the closing date.

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

About Us

Outstanding Ofsted Provider

East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding‑rated provider. We are proud to be the first general further education college organisation in the country to receive the Outstanding grade across all strands of the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of every activity within EKC Group.

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and 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 are required to carry out checks to confirm that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include self‑declaration of convictions or cautions, Enhanced DBS checks and sufficient referencing.

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

If shortlisted, 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‑opportunity 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 who are under‑represented.

We hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer, confirming our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. We will explore reasonable adjustments for any successful candidate due to health needs or disability.

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 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.