Skills and Employability Lead

Overview

Are you driven by a passion to empower individuals and help them unlock their full potential? Do you excel at crafting innovative programs that boost skills and employability? If so, we have a unique and exciting opportunity just for you!

As our Skills and Employability Lead, you will be at the forefront of driving inclusive skill development and employment growth throughout Buckinghamshire. This position isn't just any job—it's a chance to make a significant impact on the lives of our residents, the success of our local businesses, and the prosperity of our community.

In this role, you will design and implement cutting-edge programs that enhance workforce capabilities. Your expertise in navigating complex employability initiatives, coupled with your strong background in skills development, will be pivotal in creating meaningful change.

This is a fixed term contract opportunity until March 2026 and the salary is £70,941 per annum which will be pro-rated for the FTC period.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

About the role

As the Skills and Employability Lead, you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs that enhance the skills and employability of our clients. You will work closely with a team of dedicated professionals to identify the needs of our clients and develop tailored solutions that address those needs.

Our mission is to collaborate to raise aspirations and encourage a culture of continuous, inclusive learning and development to enable our employers and residents to grow and adapt to change.

Your role will involve:

• Leading the development and delivery of Get Britian Working Plans
• Supporting partners in Buckinghamshire for the development and delivery of the skills and employability programme for our place through the Skills Strategy Board and Opportunity Bucks Jobs, Employability and Skills theme.
• Collaborating with employers and industry partners to create employment opportunities
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of programs and making data-driven improvements
• Providing guidance and support to clients throughout their career development journey
• Staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices to ensure our programs remain relevant and effective

About you

We are looking for someone who is motivated and innovative, with a strong background in skills development and employability. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of navigating complex employability programmes, along with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. A passion for making a difference in the lives of others and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement is highly valued.

If you are ready to take on a challenging and rewarding role that makes a real impact, we would love to hear from you!

Other information

Please see the attached job summary for further information on the role and person specification.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Resources cover a wide range of specialisms, including Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Business Operations. Our main focus is supporting the other directorates to provide the best possible service to our residents. To do that, we have to make sure we have the right people in the right roles across the organisation. From our finance teams, working strategically to ensure the best value from public money; to HR keeping our employees healthy and happy, each service is vital in making sure Buckinghamshire Council has what it needs to run effectively and efficiently.

As well as providing high quality services to other areas of the Council, you could also be helping us build on the revenue which comes from our external clients. If you are ambitious, customer-focussed and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/