Employment Advisor - Youth Mentor Programme

Employment Advisor - Youth Mentor Programme Reading, RG1 1LZ Contract Type: Full Time Salary: £27000 - £29000 Working Hours: 35 Job Category: Education/Training/Instruction 19/10/2026 - Expires Tomorrow Apply for this job

Job Introduction

Employment Advisor - Youth Mentor Programme

Your next step. Helping someone take theirs.

Help young people aged 18-24 move into suitable employment and build the confidence to succeed at work.

As an Employment Advisor, you will deliver practical, one-to-one employment support in community locations, managing a caseload and helping young people overcome barriers to work.

This is a mobile, community-based role, not a position based at one office. You will travel regularly between delivery locations to meet young people. A valid driving licence, access to a suitable vehicle and appropriate business-use insurance are essential.

You will work within a short preparation period and be accountable for participant engagement, employment starts and sustained employment outcomes. Your support continues once someone starts work.

Before you apply: the essentials

To be considered, your CV and application must clearly demonstrate:

• Experience supporting, coaching or advising people towards a defined outcome.

• Experience engaging people who may lack confidence or face barriers to employment.

• Experience identifying practical barriers and helping individuals progress towards employment, education or another positive outcome.

• Evidence of delivering measurable targets, deadlines or agreed outcomes.

• A valid driving licence, access to a suitable vehicle and appropriate business-use insurance for regular travel between community delivery locations.

• Evidence of commitment, reliability and consistently delivering high standards of work.

• Ability to present your recent employment history clearly, including explaining gaps or short-term roles during the previous five years.

• Confident working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, with the ability to learn and adapt to case-management and other digital systems.

Useful, but not essential

• Experience in employability, recruitment, youth services, education or careers.

• An Information, Advice and Guidance, coaching, youth work or employability qualification.

The real job

You will build relationships with young people, understand their strengths, ambitions and barriers, and agree clear employment-focused action plans.

You will provide CV, application and interview support, develop workplace confidence and help resolve practical issues such as travel, identification or digital access.

Working with Employer Partnerships colleagues, you will identify suitable vacancies, prepare young people for employer introductions and help convert opportunities into employment starts.

Your responsibility continues into employment. You will provide structured in-work coaching, address emerging difficulties and help young people develop the confidence and independence needed to sustain work.

What success looks like

Young people engage, understand their next steps and progress towards suitable employment.

Employment opportunities reflect individual needs and aspirations, not simply placement numbers. Participants start jobs, receive timely support and have the best opportunity to remain employed.

Your caseload is organised, records are accurate and outcomes are evidenced.

The working reality

You will deliver in the community, travelling between locations throughout the working week. You must be comfortable working independently, managing your diary and meeting young people face to face.

This is a target-driven role. You will manage competing caseload priorities, follow up missed appointments and work towards employment and sustainment outcomes.

The preparation period is short, so you must balance urgency with personalised support. You will need to encourage progress, constructively challenge when appropriate and respond quickly when employment is at risk.

Safeguarding, professional boundaries and accurate case recording are essential to your everyday work.

What you get

• 25 days' annual leave, increasing with service.

• Vitality health and wellbeing support, including GP services, mental health support and physiotherapy.

• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, including up to six counselling sessions a year and legal, financial and debt guidance.

• Workplace pension, with salary sacrifice available subject to eligibility and scheme rules.

• Share buy scheme.

• Up to £360 a year through IncentFit for eligible activities.

• Wellbeing, retail, fitness, travel and mobile discounts, including 20% off eligible EE mobile plans.

About Get Set UK

Get Set UK delivers employment, skills, apprenticeships, health and justice services, helping people overcome barriers and progress towards meaningful, sustainable employment. We are part of Palladium, a global impact organisation with more than 60 years' experience delivering programmes and solutions internationally.

Our values are Be Ambitious, Be Proud, Be Considerate, Be Inspiring and Own It, and they shape how we work with colleagues, participants and partners.

Recruitment process

Apply through our recruitment platform and complete the short initial questionnaire. Applications started through Indeed or LinkedIn must also be completed on our recruitment platform.

We assess your CV and application against the essential criteria and the evidence you provide. Keep your CV concise, ideally one to two pages, focusing on what you personally did, improved or delivered.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to a recruitment call, Teams conversation, role-related assessment or interview, potentially including a practical exercise.

Preparation, responsiveness and attention to detail matter throughout the process.

Safer recruitment

Get Set UK is committed to safer recruitment practices to help protect our colleagues and the people we support.

As part of our recruitment process, you will be required to provide a complete and accurate history of your employment and other relevant activity for the previous five years, including explanations for any gaps, together with referee details covering the previous three years.

Please ensure the information you provide is complete and accurate, as we may be unable to progress your application until our safer