Apprenticeship Support Skills Broker

Job Category : Education
Location : Kingsway Learning Centre, Halton Borough Council
Hours Per Week : 37.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:00
Salary: £15.12

The role is to work in the Apprenticeship Support by Be More Team.
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Employment, Learning & Skills Division has been awarded the Single Investment Fund (SIF) and DWP European Social Fund (ESF) contract for the Apprenticeship Support service, which is contract managed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The Apprenticeship Support contract has responsibility for:

⦁ Skills Shows and Events
⦁ Apprenticeship Support Focussed Outreach events and activities
⦁ Sectorial Labour Market Information, Events and Wider Career Choices

The post holder will promote apprenticeships solutions to learners, providers and employer ambassadors. Working closely with the Liverpool City Region’s key intermediaries across the Liverpool City Region the post holder will support employer ambassadors, residents and providers with apprenticeship related solutions.

The post holder will play a key role in the implementation of the Liverpool City Region Skills Strategy & Sector Specific Skills for Growth Agreements. The Apprenticeship Support by Be More offer is independent and provides impartial professional skills brokerage support to stimulate apprenticeships (at all levels); providing advice on apprenticeship reforms and related funding support. The post holder will establish and build strong working relationships and respond to referrals from local partners and agencies.

Additionally, the post holder will take the lead on driving forward the Apprenticeship Support Ambassador Network; stimulating more individuals to follow apprenticeship skills progression routes, development of the Apprenticeship Support by Be More website; and on the promotion and marketing of apprenticeship activity via social media channels.

Evidence collection and evaluation of activities will be integral to the work of the Apprenticeship Support Skills Brokers. This post will be responsible for the Apprenticeship Support Focused Activities element including budget management.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1) To develop and maintain effective working relationships with businesses, providers and learners/residents in the Liverpool City Region and undertake targeted/focused visits to understand the current and future apprenticeship needs.

2) Understand the apprenticeship needs of businesses and negotiate with the Greater Merseyside Learning Provider Federation and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that training requirements are met, in line with appropriate policies and procedures, in a way that offers value for money for the public purse.

3) Support employer ambassadors to understand Apprenticeship Reforms, including the Apprenticeship Levy and changes to Apprenticeship Standards and Practices as assessments are separated out from the training delivery.

4) To develop systems and processes that ensure information and data is collected from partners as part of the operational management of the ESF and SIF contract.

5) To monitor and produce regular progress reports for the Skills Strategy Manager identifying project deliverables and associated expenditure in line with contractual requirements. To manage the budget for Apprenticeship Support Focused Activities. Ensure that there is a clear, transparent audit trail for funding allocated and expended as part of the contract.

6) Supporting local Colleges and private Training Providers to articulate and promote their apprenticeship offer in a way that employers and residents understand.

7) Maintain details of all targeted/focused interventions on the Customer Relationship Management system and use this information to evaluate impact of the activity.

8) To demonstrate operational experience and knowledge in all aspects of skills/apprenticeship policy and act as a point of advice for practitioners in sharing good practice in responding to apprenticeship enquiries

9) To provide secretariat support and co-ordination of meetings as required involving key stakeholders at group meetings, forum events and steering groups and sub -groups to include room bookings, agenda setting, dissemination of papers, etc.

10) To devise and deliver a promotional and marketing campaigns to showcase the work of the Apprenticeship Support Service. This will include promotional events, newsletter production and distribution, website and social media updates to effectively market the Apprenticeship Support brand.

11) To take the lead in driving forward the Apprenticeship Support Ambassador Network. This will include growing the number of Apprentice Ambassadors, agreeing a programme of activity for them, monitoring the impact of this strand of work and providing regular report updates via national and local governance arrangements.

12) To adhere to the Liverpool City Region Skills Strategy and associated Skills for Growth Agreements/Action Plans and use this as a basis for scheduling a work plan for relevant apprenticeship focused strand themes, as directed by the Skills Strategy Manager. To report regularly on progress against actions and on key deliverables.

13) To engage effectively with schools, parents, employer ambassadors, providers and apprentices in maximising resources to effectively promote the apprenticeship agenda within Liverpool City Region and to celebrate good practice and successes.

To support work within relevant themed service requirements of the contract as directed by the Skills Strategy Manager