Work Placement Engagement Officer (Fixed term maternity cover commencing June 2026)
Construction Crafts
REQ0001120
1. The Appointment
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. This role will support students in specific subject areas.
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.
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.
2. The Post
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Build strong links with employers we are currently working with to continue to support work placement opportunities and engage new employers through a range of activities.
2. Adopt a tenacious but professional approach, acting as an ‘ambassador’ for the department and work placements as the first contact with the employer.
3. Support students to secure a meaningful and relevant work placement linked to their course to achieve the colleges’ study programme and industry work placement targets, aiming to extend student placements from a study programme short placement into an industry or extended placement.
4. Completing health and safety training to be able to support with risk assessments where required. Checking companies hold the correct insurance policies prior to students attending placements.
5. Work alongside the ALS team to support students with SEND/LLDDD to ensure the students receive the necessary support and linking up with the employer to ensure reasonable adjustments are made in the workplace.
6. Collaborate with the college's apprenticeship team, teachers and Nottingham Trent University Employer Engagement officers to secure new leads for local employers’ upscaling the volume of work placements for study programme and industry placements.
7. Increase the conversion of students with part-time jobs to translate into an Industry Placements and sharing the financial support we can offer students completing extended work placements.
8. To be meticulous in ensuring all employer engagement information and student one to one’s are recorded on the system.
9. Ensure that a robust matching process is co-ordinated to ensure students meet employers’ expectations and the college’s Employability Framework Standards and visit learners in the workplace to monitor progress.
10. Promote new work placement opportunities, and processes with teachers and students through a range of activities.
11. Co-ordinate and contribute to the development of virtual training for work placement programmes, social action projects to prepare students for placements.
12. Manage Outlook calendars to ensure even weekly planning of appointments; ensuring travelling distances are feasible and effective.
13. Deal with customer complaints and elevate as necessary.
14. Complete regular reporting activities to measure self and department against agreed targets.
15. Ensure that the colleges safeguarding policies, procedures and contact numbers are highlighted at all points of interaction with employers.
16. Monitor completion of student work appraisals, employer feedback and assessments, utilising this information to create positive work placement case studies.
#J-18808-Ljbffr