Widening Participation Assistant

University-of-Salford; Salford; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Salford is seeking an Assistant within the Widening Participation Team for a fixed-term period of 9 months, from November to July. The role focuses on supporting events and activities for young people and developing transferable skills in a dynamic, supportive environment.

You should be passionate about outreach, able to work flexible hours including evenings and some weekends, and prepared to engage with internal and external stakeholders across Greater Manchester.

Qualifications

• Passion for working with young people on events and activities.
• Willingness to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the GMH collaboration with pre-event preparation and event delivery.
• Present information, advice and guidance talks at events.
• Assist workshops and collect evaluation data.

Job description

Opportunity Overview

An exciting new opportunity for an Assistant role has arisen within the Widening Participation Team. The position is fixed term for 9 months, from November to July, and is an ideal opportunity for someone with a passion for working with young people on events and activities, to gain experience of working within a fast-paced, fun and rewarding environment.

Working in Widening Participation offers us the chance to play a part in someone’s decision-making about their future which is a real privilege. We’re fun and flexible, and we work hard as a team and engage with a wide variety of staff across the institution in the achievement of our goals. The role provides an opportunity to make a real difference to the learners that we work with. Across the 9 months, you’ll get the opportunity to work in a tight-knit team within a large, complex organisation and develop a range of transferable skills: gaining experience working with a range of internal and external stakeholders and developing your interpersonal and time management skills. You’ll also have the opportunity to have your voice heard, to shape the role and to develop yourself both personally and professionally.

It’s important to note that the post holder will need to be able to work flexible hours, including evenings and occasional weekend commitments. There will also be times of the year that on-campus working is required all week-round.

Please also note that the successful candidate will be required to pass a check with the disclosure and barring service.

Applicants should be aware that this opportunity may close early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Key Responsibilities

A key part of your role will be supporting the work of the team, including assisting during events both off campus and externally in schools and colleges in Greater Manchester. You will be responsible for working directly on the Greater Manchester Higher collaboration, a regional partnership that includes higher education and further education partners in GM. This network work together to reach learners who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, or who are from groups who are underrepresented in higher education e.g. care experienced learners. You will focus on supporting the GMH work with pre-event preparation, event support during the activities such as presenting the information advice and guidance (IAG) talks, assisting workshops and inputting and collating evaluation data captured during events.

You will support the WP Officer to fulfil our commitments as part of the GMH partnership. Along with events, this might also include attending schools to deliver talks or support schools careers events or parents evenings. It may also include supporting the development work of the GMH partnership, led by the central GMH team who are based at Manchester Metropolitan University. You would also work closely with student ambassadors, supervising them during their work with the team and providing feedback on their performance back to the team.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary - and excellent pension scheme
• An impressive 32 days leave - plus bank holidays, additional time off at Christmas and the opportunity to buy even more!
• Flexible working - we support a culture of flexible and agile working to help you find the right balance
• Professional development - we offer a comprehensive package of training and development opportunities to help you achieve your full potential
• Our community - there's a real sense of belonging here at Salford. We value diversity, in backgrounds and in experiences. Our difference makes us stronger, and together we share a passion for improving students' lives

Job Description