Job Number
BU04005
School/Department
Reaching Wider
Grade
6
Contract Duration
31 August 2027
Responsible to
Project Manager
Overview
Reaching Wider aims to facilitate the entrance of people from under-represented backgrounds into Higher Education.
The North and Mid Wales Partnership will be managing a national mentoring programme across Wales, in partnership with the Southwest Wales and Southeast Wales Reaching Wider partnerships.
Using an online mentoring platform, Brightside, the programme has delivered online one-to-one mentoring, pairing mentees with undergraduate and postgraduate mentors studying in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Wales.
The Project
Reaching Wider North and Mid Wales partnership is a partnership of higher education and further education in the North and Mid Wales region. Our Executive Steering group members are Bangor University (Lead Partner), Aberystwyth University, Wrexham Glyndwr University, Coleg Cambria, Coleg Ceredigion, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Grwp Llandrillo Menai, and NPTC Grwp.
The purpose of this partnership is to widen access to Higher Education for underrepresented groups identified by Medr. Responding to the region's widening access priorities and requirements, we will support our learners at various stages and transition points on their individual educational journey, working with learners more intensively over a longer period wherever possible.
The mentoring project sits under the broader Reaching Wider programme, which contributes to Medr’s response to widening access to higher education by supporting priority schools, colleges, communities and learners. The national offer has five priorities:
1. Supporting the transition to higher education increase confidence, progression, lifelong learning, and success.
2. Supporting educational aspiration raising to increase motivation, retention and progression.
3. Enhancing educational skills to enable learners to fulfil their academic potential and be prepared for further and/or higher education.
4. Promoting vocational and employability skills to encourage upskilling and career aspirations, including access to apprenticeships and professions.
5. Promoting equality of opportunity and inclusive approaches for care-experienced people, carers, and people with disabilities.
Purpose of the Job
The project officer will recruit, train, and coordinate HE undergraduates to be mentors to learners engaged in 14 - 25 education, offering a package of mentoring support for the academic year 2026 - 2027. This exciting opportunity will target Reaching Wider priority cohorts across Wales.
The post holder will take a leading role in the recruitment and engagement of the mentors and mentees working with key partners, to deliver a successful programme. Supporting the project managers to deliver the aims and objectives of the project within the time projects timelines.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
6. Support the Project Manager to establish good working relationships with the stakeholders to deliver the project, developing appropriate communication links with the Reaching Wider institutional and non-institutional partners.
7. Work with the stakeholders in the recruitment of mentees and mentors to the programme.
8. Supporting partners to manage the conversion process from sign-up to joining and engagement throughout the project.
9. Work with school 6 forms and colleges to determine their specific needs in respect of the mentoring programme.
10. Support the Project Manager gather information for the effective evaluation of programme.
11. Proactively work within a small team to deliver high quality and impactful programme across Wales using the mentoring platform.
12. Be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the project to ensure milestones are being met.
13. Deliver online mentor training sessions and online mentee inductions ensuring the team are trained to support and induct mentors onto to the online mentoring project.
14. Ensure the safeguarding and welfare of all participants is always adhered to, and that participants are appropriately trained and vetted.
15. Deliver in person mentor and mentee training sessions about the online mentoring platform.
16. Deliver recruitment lunch and learn events and sessions to promote and recruit the mentors and mentees onto the programme.
17. Ensure the project resources, equipment, and information are readily available for partners, mentors, and mentees.
18. Support the Welsh Medium and bilingualism for the project, ensuring translation is completed in accordance with the lead institution language policies.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
19. Ensure safeguarding, pastoral care and welfare of all participants on the programmes by ensuring that safeguarding, vulnerable adult and health and safety procedures are always adhered to and that all delivery staff on these programmes are appropriately trained and vetted.
20. Promote Welsh medium activities and the development of bilingual materials, to include bilingual resources and delivery.
21. Raise awareness of activities & achievements on social media platforms.
22. Ensure effective delivery of the project in the designated area(s).
23. Develop strong communications and close working relationships with partners in the area(s) and delivering the project in partnership with them.
24. Contribute to and carry out marketing activity as required leading where appropriate Measure, evaluate, and promote the outcomes of the project.
25. Carry out any other duties that the Project Manager considers to be required.
26. Pro-actively promote all Reaching Wider activities, referring any inquiries to the appropriate colleagues and supporting with delivery when required.
27. The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
28. The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards.
29. The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
30. The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.
Person Specification
Qualifications/Training
Essential
31. 2 AS Levels or 1 A level or NVQ level 4 in a relevant subject area.
32. Professional qualifications or accreditation relevant to the role.
Desirable
33. Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in relevant subject area or teaching based qualification.
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
34. Extensive experience of outreach engagement with Reaching Wider target cohorts in an educational context.
35. Experience of working with Further Education and Higher Education.
36. Experience of leading and developing activity with Reaching Wider target cohorts.
37. Demonstrable experience of organising and coordinating outreach events for Reaching Wider target cohorts.
38. Experience of delivering training online training sessions via Teams, Zoom and other online platforms.
39. Experience of recruitment and training of FE/HE students to deliver to community groups and schools.
40. Proven experience in working directly with target individuals / groups / sectors as identified by Medr.
Desirable
41. Understanding of local communities and marginalised/disadvantaged groups.
42. Knowledge and understanding of the background to Reaching Wider and the widening access agenda in Wales.
43. Developed activities for Reaching Wider target cohorts without a level 4 qualification.
Skills/Abilities
Essential
44. Computer literate and a proficiency in the use of the internet (web browsers, search engines, etc.) Microsoft software packages (including Outlook, Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint).
45. Self-motivated, with a positive outlook, and possess the ability to assess one's own performance.
46. The ability to act as ambassador for Reaching Wider and can communicate at all levels in a range of organisations.
47. Ability to work with others and be a team-player.
48. The ability to plan, organise and deliver effective workshops, seminars, and training events.
49. Good organisation skills with an ability to manage a variety of tasks at the same time and to organise and prioritise own work and that of others including coping with unpredictable volumes of work and busy periods.
50. Ability to work autonomously and explore new challenges and responsibilities.
Other
Essential
51. The person must be prepared to travel across the designated region(s) and occasionally to other parts of Wales and the UK with transportation organised by the role holder.
52. This post is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.
Desirable
53. The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If applicants are not able to speak / write in Welsh at present, there are many opportunities to learn if the successful candidate wishes to do so.
General
We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.
All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.
Disclosure & Barring Service
This post is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.
As Bangor University meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions. DBS checks will be updated every 3 years.