Work Placement Engagement Coach (2 Posts, fixed term until 30th June 2027)

onlyFE; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Vision Business Support Services Ltd (VBSS) supports West Nottinghamshire College and its group by coordinating high-quality work placements for full-time students. This fixed-term role focuses on securing placements, managing employer relationships, and ensuring health and safety compliance across activities.

You will engage employers, build industry links, travel to placements and work with curriculum teams to upscale opportunities, contributing to student achievement and learner experience.

Responsibilities

• Engage existing employers to maintain support and, if feasible, increase the number of students per employer.
• Build links with new employers and match students to appropriate placements.
• Collaborate with the directorate of Construction and Building Services and other college departments to upscale placement opportunities.
• Complete health and safety training and conduct risk assessments for placements.
• Develop links with curriculum staff to align planning with industry and study placements.
• Contribute to students’ preparation for work placement and monitor completion of objectives.
• Use the college central work placement system to capture employer and student engagement data.
• Travel to conduct risk assessments and attend employer appointments, open evenings and events.
• Embed the college’s values: Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, Ambition and Compassion.

Job description

Vision Business Support Services Ltd (VBSS) provides high-quality support services to all aspects of the college group, VBSS is a subsidiary company of West Nottinghamshire College and provides an important service and plays a pivotal part in the success of the college and creating an exceptional learner experience.

About The Role

A key part of this role will be to ensure students complete work placements and extended or industry placements. It is a mandatory requirement for all full-time students to complete a meaningful work placement as part of their course. These posts are fixed term linked to project funding.

An essential task will be to engage existing employers to maintain their support and if feasible increase the number of students for each employer. To build links with new employers and match students to the appropriate employer and role. Increasing the number of employers supporting our students with work placements and developing strong working relationships.

Working individually as well as working alongside the directorate of Construction and Building Services and other college departments to generate and upscale placement opportunities achieving the college’s work placement targets for study programme and industry placements. Some construction industry experience would be advantageous.

You will complete health and safety training to enable you to complete risk assessment paperwork or ensure employers complete the online forms, prior to placements starting, ensuring that students are protected against health and safety risks arising from work activities, at the same time using the opportunity to develop strong links with employers and generate confidence in the college’s professional approach to health and safety.

Developing good relationships with curriculum staff will be essential to ensure there is an alignment between curriculum planning and industry and study placement provision as well as collaboratively matching students to placements and upscaling to industry placements.

You will contribute to students’ preparation for work placement through projects, developing and delivering resources, being passionate about students’ achievement monitoring completion of relevant and meaningful work placement objectives.

You will use a range of college systems including the college central work placement management system and ensure key employer and student engagement information is captured.

The post holder will be expected to be a self-starter and have a high level of resilience, as the role will involve encouraging students to see the benefits of work placement and engage employers to offer opportunities.

You will be required to travel to conduct risk assessments and attend employer appointments, open evenings, employer networking events and other college sites.

The role will require you to embed the college’s values, Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, Ambition and Compassion.