Careers and Higher Education Advisor

The Head of Cardiff Sixth Form College invites applications for the post of Careers and Higher Education Advisor. The Careers and Higher Education Advisor is a key member of the administrative team. Exceptional administrative skills, flexibility, the ability to work under guidance to deadlines as well as being self-directed and showing initiative are key characteristics of the post-holder. The Careers and Higher Education Advisor provides support and guidance to all students on potential career pathways and university destinations.

Cardiff Sixth Form College students aspire to apply to the very best universities around the world. This role is critical in providing them with the first-class support and guidance they need to succeed and thrive. Many of our graduates are studying at Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Imperial or UCL. International destinations are also becoming increasingly popular, including, but not limited to USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore.

Cardiff Sixth Form College's vision is to be recognised as the best academic school in the world. All of our staff play a key role in fulfilling that vision by contributing to a culture of high achievement, intellectual rigour and exceptional teaching and learning.

Candidates with all levels of experience will be considered. This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to work with an exceptional team. Applications are welcome from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. We celebrate our diversity and welcome interest from individuals with protected characteristics.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Careers and Higher Education Advisor

Department: Careers and Higher Education/Administration

Responsible to: Vice Principal

The Careers and Higher Education Advisor is a key member of the administrative team. Exceptional administrative skills, flexibility, the ability to work under guidance

Purpose of the job: to deadlines as well as being self-directed and showing initiative are key characteristics of the post-holder. The Careers and Higher Education Advisor provides support and guidance to all students on potential career pathways and university destinations.

By nature of the role, the following list is not exhaustive, but is a guideline as to the main requirements of the role. The Careers and Higher Education Advisor must be flexible, able to prioritise and be prepared to carry out reasonable tasks not necessarily covered within this Job Description.

Higher Education Guidance and Support

● Provide outstanding guidance on all stages of the application processes for universities around the world;

● Provide students with first-class support when preparing their personal statements and letters of application;

● Support academic and pastoral staff to ensure that references for students are of the highest quality;
● Oversee the efficient and effective use of the Unifrog platform, providing training and support for staff and students when needed;
● Meet regularly with students to offer individualised support for their application needs;
● Monitor student applications, communicating key information on entry requirements to relevant stakeholders;
● Work with the Vice Principal to compile data on learner destinations;
● Support student induction, compiling information on target universities and degree pathways for all students;
● Provide students with clear guidance during their selection of GCSE and A Level subjects and on any proposed changes to these subjects;
● Plan and deliver careers and higher education workshops and assemblies;
● Ensure effective written and verbal communication with parents, guardians and other key stakeholders;
● Liaise with external providers, such as Dukes Plus, to ensure that first-class provision is in place for all CSFC students;
● Plan and manage the CSFC mock interview programme;
● Promote relevant opportunities such as summer schools, internships and open days to all students;
● Maintain an up-to-date understanding of the global higher education landscape;

● Maintain and develop a contacts database of local and global admissions departments;

● Plan, promote and lead delivery of the College’s August University
Application Preparation course.

Careers and Employability Guidance and Support

● Liaise with the Work Observation & Educational Visits Coordinator to ensure that students are fully informed about work observation opportunities available to them;

● Support the Head of House team in preparing and delivering careers related PSE sessions;
● Help to coordinate careers and university fairs and/or guest speakers from a variety of universities and employers;
● Maintain an up-to-date understanding of appropriate Labour Market Information and the various careers pathways available to young people today;

Other Duties

● Contribute to the departmental development plan;
● Contribute to the termly Governors’ Report, Gatsby Benchmarks audits and other relevant reports;
● Ensure that the Careers and Higher Education website is up-to-date with rich support materials for students e.g. interview question packs, personal statement guides etc…

College Support:

● Invigilate examinations and cover lessons where needed.

Health & Safety:

● Comply with all health and safety procedures as required by the college on all sites;
● Report any concerns, issues and near misses;
● Keep up to date with all relevant training;
● Act as a Fire Marshal if asked to do so and trained appropriately.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:

Cardiff Sixth Form College is committed to its responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students in line with government recommendations and policies. Due to this, all staff at the college have a responsibility for safeguarding and reporting any concerns regarding students to the DSP or a
Deputy Safeguarding Officer. Your safeguarding responsibilities mean that you will need to:

● Demonstrate a commitment to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons in line with College Policy and procedure.

● Respond and deal with incidents in a sensitive, empathetic and supportive manner, reporting any incidents to the accommodation manager and pastoral team.

● Undertake initial and regular safeguarding training and be willing to undertake additional safeguarding training to enhance professional development.

Skills & Requirements:

● Experience with providing careers and university application support;
● Knowledge of the application process for UK and US universities;
● Familiarity with complex organisations such as (but not necessarily) a school;
● Ability to optimise efficiency and advise over process improvements;
● Multi-tasking and time management capability;
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
● Integrity and professionalism;
● Proficiency in MS Office and ability to transfer skills into other IT programmes and systems;
● Qualifications relevant to the role.

Person Specification:

● Be able to manage the demands of a role which require flexibility, initiative, periods of high pressure, the ability to meet deadlines and to self-initiate tasks;

● Be adaptable and show good judgement;
● Have outstanding organisational skills and an ability to complete tasks without supervision whilst also functioning as a part of a team;
● Work effectively with other people by being self-aware, treating people equally and sensitively, whilst ensuring all aspects of confidentiality are maintained;
● Develop good working relationships with colleagues;
● Communicate clearly by getting the message across effectively, listening carefully and responding to feedback;
● Represent CSFC professionally and adhere to the highest levels of service with all stakeholders including students, parents, agents, guardians and external service providers;
● Be positive in outlook and supportive in all aspects of work;
● Be willing to undertake further professional training/qualifications, as required;
● Be an outstanding ambassador for Cardiff Sixth Form College and Dukes Education.

Terms & Conditions:

Working hours
Holiday entitlement 38 days (inclusive of the 8 normal bank holidays)
Notice period 1 month
Grace period 6 months reviewable at discretion of CSFC
Pension Inclusion in the Cardiff Sixth Form Pension Plan
Training Commitment to ongoing training, as required

Cardiff Sixth Form College is an equal opportunities employer and is caring and reasonable in its approach to all staff.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £20,000.00-£26,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Canteen
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Flexitime
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Flexitime
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Cardiff: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Education:

• Bachelor's (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 26/06/2023
Reference ID: C&HE