Are you passionate about helping adults overcome barriers and move confidently into work, training or further learning? Here at Brockenhurst College we are seeking a dedicated Pathways to Employment Officer to join our dynamic Employment Services team at QuickStart based in Southampton, on a part time, fixed term basis . In this impactful role, you'll provide high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG), personalised employability support to unemployed adults referred through Jobcentre Plus, local councils and community partners. You will build participants' confidence, develop their skills, broker meaningful job opportunities and support their journey into sustainable employment. Working within a collaborative, forward-thinking environment, you'll also contribute to classroom and assessment delivery, partnership engagement and maintaining excellent standards of quality, compliance and learner experience. In return you will receive a salary of £24,834 - £27,211 per annum (pro rata) DOE.
All the relevant skills, qualifications and experience that a successful applicant will need are listed in the following description.
If you're motivated, organised and committed to making a real difference in people's lives, we'd love you to join our team.
The Pathways to Employment Officer Role:
As our Pathways to Employment Officer you will provide high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) and personalised employability support to unemployed adults and jobseekers referred via Jobcentre Plus/DWP, local authorities and community partners. The role proactively removes barriers to work, builds work readiness, brokers sustainable job outcomes, and supports learners in class. The postholder will also invigilate assessments/exams when required and contribute to Initial Provider Interviews (IPIs) and progress reviews to agreed standards and compliance requirements.
Responsibilities as our Pathways to Employment Officer will include:
Participant engagement, assessment & planning
- Contribute to IPIs and ongoing reviews to assess needs, employability level, and barriers; co-create action plans with SMART goals and agreed next steps.
- Triage and onboard participants from Jobcentre Plus/DWP, councils, and community referrals; manage a dynamic caseload to timely outcomes.
- Provide impartial IAG aligned to the Matrix Standard ethos and college policies, ensuring appropriate signposting (wellbeing, housing, finance, ESOL, SEND).
Employability support & job search coaching
- Deliver one-to-one and small-group sessions on CVs, applications, digital job search, interview skills, labour-market awareness, and soft-skills (confidence, resilience, teamwork).
- Track progress to milestones (engagement, skills gain, interviews, job starts, sustainment), adapting plans as needs change.
Employer engagement
- Proactively source vacancies, work trials, sector-based work academies (SWAP-style), and volunteering/experience with local employers.
- Prepare candidates and match them to roles; organise employer talks, mock interviews, and recruitment events; support offer/induction and in-work sustainment.
Multi-agency partnership working
- Maintain effective working relationships with Jobcentre Plus/DWP Work Coaches, local councils, community organisations, and training providers to coordinate referrals, co-location, and joint interventions.
- Represent the college at local employability forums, task groups, and job fairs; share labour-market intelligence and pipeline opportunities with colleagues.
Classroom support & invigilation
- Support tutors in the classroom with employability, study skills, and work-readiness content; provide on-programme IAG and progression guidance.
- On occasion invigilate assessments/exams in line with awarding-body and college regulations (room setup, ID checks, security, incident reporting, scripts handling).
- Provide targeted wrap-around support for learners at risk of withdrawal or non-completion, liaising with curriculum, ALS/SEND and safeguarding teams.
Compliance, quality & data
- Maintain accurate, timely records of IPIs, action plans, attendance, outcomes and evidence on college MIS/CRM and (where required) DWP/council systems.
- Adhere to funding and audit requirements (e.g., eligibility checks, residency/evidence, outcome verification), GDPR, safeguarding, Prevent, EDI and Health & Safety.
- Contribute to continuous improvement (self-assessment, learner voice, observations of practice, CPD).
Performance & results
- Meet or exceed KPIs: engagement, timely IPI completion, progression to learning, job starts, sustained outcomes (e.g., 13/26 weeks), employer satisfaction, and data quality.
- Produce concise, insight-driven reports and case studies for managers and co-ordinators
As our Pathways to Employment Officer, you'll ideally have:
- 5 x GCSE at Grade C or above to include English and Maths (or equivalent).
- Driving licence and access to transport for outreach
- L3+ Advice & Guidance (IAG) or Careers (e.g., L3 CIAG) – Desirable / or willingness to achieve.
- One-to-one and group employability/IAG support with unemployed adults or adult learners.
- Working with Jobcentre Plus/DWP, local councils or employability programmes (e.g., Restart, WHP, Multiply, adult skills).
- Employer engagement and job matching; organising recruitment events and interviews.
- Classroom or workshop delivery alongside tutors; assessment or invigilation procedures.
- Caseload management with outcome targets and robust record-keeping.
- Knowledge of local labour-market trends and priority sectors; barriers faced by jobseekers.
- Knowledge of Funding/compliance in FE/employability settings (ESFA/DWP expectations); data protection (GDPR).
- Knowledge of Safeguarding, Prevent and inclusive practice, including reasonable adjustments and trauma-informed approaches.
Benefits you will receive:
- 25 days leave, rising with service, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure (pro rata for part time staff)
- Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme provided externally to the College. xwwtmva This is a completely confidential service and is free to all members of staff at the College
- On-site Nursery offers childcare at superb rates all year round
- Free eye care vouchers for DSE users
- Free secure onsite parking
- Access to a range of discounts including shopping, travel and healthcare
- Access to onsite Gym, Tennis/Badminton courts, Football pitches (indoor & out)
- Weekly staff football
If you feel you are the right candidate for this Pathways to Employment Officer (Southampton) role,then please click ‘apply' now!
Closing Date: 20 October 2026
Wessex Education Shared Services is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to undertake appropriate safeguarding checks which includes an enhanced DBS check as well as providing proof of right to work in the UK.
Full job description from WhatJobs. Apply for this role →