Vision Business Support Services Ltd (VBSS), a subsidiary of West Nottinghamshire College, supports all aspects of the college group.
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. The role supports 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. It also involves building links with new employers and matching students to the appropriate employer and role, thereby increasing the number of employers supporting our students with work placements and developing strong working relationships.
The role involves working individually as well as alongside the departments of animal care and catering and, on occasion, other college departments to generate and upscale placement opportunities and achieve 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. This safeguards students against health and safety risks arising from work activities while demonstrating the college’s professional approach to health and safety.
Developing good relationships with curriculum staff will be essential to ensure 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, and monitoring the completion of relevant and meaningful work placement objectives and student achievement.
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 engaging 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, Compassion and Ambition.
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 college’s study programme and industry work placement targets, aiming to extend student placements from a short placement into an industry or extended placement.
4. Complete health and safety training to be able to support with risk assessments where required and check companies hold the correct insurance policies prior to students attending placements.
5. Work alongside the ALS team to support students with SEND/LLDDD, ensuring 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 and upscale the volume of work placements for study programme and industry placements.
7. Increase the conversion of students with part‑time jobs to translate into industry placements and share the financial support we can offer students completing extended work placements.
8. Be meticulous in ensuring all employer engagement information and student one‑to‑ones are recorded on the system.
9. Ensure that a robust matching process is coordinated 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. Coordinate and contribute to the development of virtual training for work placement programmes and social action projects to prepare students for placements.
12. Manage Outlook calendars to ensure 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 college’s 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.
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