Candidate Pack for Business Support Officer Role, Scotland

Background Career Academies UK has been building bridges between the classroom and the boardroom since 2002. Our Career Academy model is revolutionising partnerships between employers and schools, transforming lives along the way. We recognise the potential in students from all backgrounds, and help them to take their first steps into the world of work. A registered charity with an impressive Board of senior business leaders, our organisation is funded by a combination of membership fees from schools (and colleges in England), charitable donations from corporate supporters and grants from local government and charitable foundations. Career Academy students follow a rigorous, two-year structured enrichment programme that wraps around and compliments their school studies, of mentoring, a paid four to six week internship, classroom lectures from business ‘gurus’ along with networking and visits to a wide range of employers. The exact content of the programme in Scotland is decided locally by the Local Authority, employers and schools, in consultation with Career Academies UK to ensure the students receive the work experience, skills, knowledge and confidence they need to perform and contribute more effectively in the wider world. Our Growth in Scotland Career Academies UK in Scotland enables sustainable, scalable partnerships that help employers’ engage with schools and Local Authorities raising young people’s aspirations and life chances. This bridges the gap between education and work, leading to enhanced career and employment prospects and outcomes for young people. Since 2011 our focus in Scotland has been with Local Authority Education Services and their schools. Currently 38 schools have a Career Academy in five Local Authorities (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth & Kinross) with additional Local Authorities about to engage. Plans are in place for all secondary schools in engaged Local Authority areas to have a Career Academy. By 2016 our plans are for 100+ schools and 1000+ students in 10+ Local Authorities to be affiliated with Career Academies UK. Our commitment to affect the lives of more young people in Scotland and enable their greater contribution to our economy has led to the creation of this exciting and important new role. The Scottish Council, chaired by Kevin Roxburgh, Managing Director, Scottish Gas, guides the charity’s strategy and growth in Scotland, with members from leading employer and educational organisations in Scotland who in addition to supporting our growth strategy, play a key role in helping our advocacy and recruitment of new supporters. The Career Academy Programme

Career Academies brings the world of work and education together through a powerful academic and vocational mix. A Partner in Business (mentor) is an employee volunteer who acts as a coach and provides support, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples from their experiences that can help students learn. Meetings occur at least three times per term for two academic years. The focus is a blend of supporting students in their studies and helping them develop the broader skills and knowledge needed for adult working life.

The internship is not the traditional ‘work experience’ offered to school students nor a mini version of undergraduate schemes. It is paid opportunity for students to be part of a working environment, develop workplace skills whilst making a real contribution to their host organisation Responsible to

Scotland Director

Purpose of Job

To support the Director for Scotland and other Scottish Regional Managers in a period of growth and expansion that enables the development and delivery of the programme and day-to-day account management of affiliated schools running a Career Academy, corporate supporters and other key stakeholders.

Skills and Attributes Required

We are looking for an enthusiastic self-starter able to work as part of a vibrant, geographically diverse stakeholder- focused team, where initiative, inquisitiveness and a ‘can do’ attitude is encouraged and valued. A committed and dedicated individual with excellent organisational and inter-personal skills, you will have had experience of process improvement, project and events management, and planning and managing meetings. Your day-to-day work will have involved the use of Social Media and this will be accompanied by excellent Word, PowerPoint, spread sheet and database skills along with the flexibility to deal with a variety of duties and conflicting priorities. Experience of using Salesforce would be beneficial though not essential. The Business Support Officer will have an eye for detail and a systematic approach to work. A key objective will be to analyse and map our existing processes, recommending changes and improvements where necessary. At the heart of your work will be direct engagement with and account management of stakeholders to ensure that students, schools, Local Authorities and our employer supporters truly benefit from their Career Academies experience. You will be: . Entrepreneurial with the ability to follow through and achieve results

. Able to deliver targets and objectives, often alone and without additional resource

. Able to communicate effectively in a wide variety of situations

. Accurate, thorough and look for ways to improve and promote quality

. Able to reach, network with and communicate to a wide range of stakeholders and potential stakeholders

. Able to operate corporately as part of the Career Academies UK team

. Mobile and prepared to spend time in different parts of Scotland and time initially in our national office, currently located at Canary Wharf, London

Main tasks Within Scotland

. Support the recruitment of new affiliate schools in accordance with the strategic growth plan for priority target areas. Provide administration and coordination of new school induction, training and activities prior to launch and implementation of the Career Academy model.

. Support the account management on a day-to-day basis of all affiliated schools who are running a Career Academy. This will require supporting the Director and Regional Managers with all aspects of data management, attending meetings, managing key programme processes, leading events for students and corporate supporters, and assisting with Quality Assurance visits.

. Support the Director and Regional Managers in the account management of relationships with regional and local corporate supporters and regional or local operations of national corporate supporters. This will include attending account management meetings as well as regular 'keep in touch' communications.

. Promote the contribution of Career Academies and awareness of Career Academies UK to potential supporters and assist in engaging their commitment to give that support. This will involve ownership and development of a number of communication channels, including Social Media

. Review the management of the ‘Partner in Business’ volunteers and internship processes and lead the implementation of improvements in consultation with our national office.

. Maintain management information database (Salesforce) and provide the Director with day-to-day administrative and office management support.

National and strategic management

. Seek ways to promote the achievements of Career Academies UK in Scotland including leading the development of case studies and regular updates on the website / newsletter. Develop a Scottish specific communications plan.

. Identify ways to improve the service given by the central staff team (London) for the model in Scotland.

Profile raising

. In conjunction with the Director for Scotland and Regional Managers, work to raise the profile of Career Academies UK in Scotland and its key stakeholders in the regional and local media, business and education communities.

Relationships

. Support the Director for Scotland and Regional Managers in liaising and promoting effective links with corporate supporters, media, devolved government departments, local authorities and agencies relevant to the Career Academies UK’s strategic plan in Scotland.

. Encourage and assist affiliated schools to develop effective internal and external communications policies and practices, and to support Career Academies UK’s long-term strategy.

. Develop relationships with potential company supporters.

. Maintain regular contact with colleagues in London to ensure processes fit for delivery in Scotland are developed

Events

. Assist City / Area Local Advisory Boards, and affiliated schools to plan, manage and run events to promote their Career Academy to potential corporate supporters, students, parents / carers and the local community.

. Arrange and manage events including ‘Partner in Business’ (mentor) briefings, inductions and ice-breakers, internship briefings and other student events.

. Plan and run a programme of high quality events for students, teachers and corporate supporters in the region in conjunction with the events management team (to include managing the budget to enable the events to take place).

. Maintain and develop calendar / event activity for multi-stakeholder audience . Work with the central team based in London to plan and organise any national events that students from Scotland may join in with. This will include the annual Graduation event in Scotland.

Fund Raising

. Assist the Director for Scotland in developing and maintaining the model for tracking funds raised in Scotland against targets

General

. Lead administrator for Scotland and to deal with any correspondence, projects and engagements as may be delegated by the Director for Scotland and Regional Managers

. Promote a commitment to high standards of service, and to equality of opportunity through leadership and good practice.

Education Educated to at least ‘Highers’ standard and potentially / preferably degree level.

Location The successful applicant will be home based and within easy travelling distance of Linlithgow, where the Director for Scotland is located. This role requires very regular travel throughout Scotland and access to a reliable car is a must, although train travel is encouraged whenever practicable.

In addition to the ability and willingness to travel, a flexible approach to working hours is required as ‘out of hours’ meetings are common within the requirements of this role. Please be aware that this post is subject to an enhanced CRB and Disclosure Scotland check.

This is an opportunity to join a growing, ambitious charity that is really making a difference to the lives of young people helping them develop their employability skills, confidence, belief, attitude for success and understanding of career pathways and opportunities.

Application notes Remuneration type: Salaried Status: Full-time Salary: £22,000 - £25,000 depending upon experience Benefits: A working from home allowance of £200 per annum is provided 25 days holiday per annum plus public holidays 6% salary contribution to a private pension, subject to an employee contribution of 2.5%, after completion of a three month probationary period. Business expenses including mileage allowance for car usage. The closing date for applications will be the 25th October 2013. Interviews will be held weeks commencing 4th and 11th November 2013, and further information will be sent to shortlisted candidates. Please send your CV, and a covering letter that details how your experience meets the requirements of the role, by email to: Lulu Wang, Career Academies UK, 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5LB Email: [email protected] Phone: 020 7986 5494 If you require any further information or would like to discuss anything in more detail, please contact Anne Wexelstein, Director for Scotland, on 0787 298 9163, who would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Visit our website www.careeracademies.org.uk

Charity Number (Scotland): SC043678