Job Introduction
The Solent Careers Hub is a partnership of the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton local authorities who work together to deliver the aims and objectives of the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) in the Solent area.
Nationally the Careers and Enterprise Company has been set up to inspire and prepare young people for the fast-changing world of work. Careers Hubs lead partnerships of schools, colleges, local enterprise partnerships, local authorities, local businesses and careers providers, deploying innovative approaches to transform the careers provision and act as a catalyst, connecting employers with schools and colleges throughout the Solent to deliver a world-class locally tailored careers education programme. Through joining a Careers Hub, we enable schools and colleges to receive professional guidance in how to develop their careers programme, peer to peer support access to funding and coordinated activity.
The Role
The Portsmouth Enterprise and Skills Executive supports the coordination of the Solent Careers Hub in Portsmouth to help schools and colleges improve their careers and enterprise programmes, employer engagement and local economy linkages. The Careers Hub bridges the gap between education and employers by pairing individual volunteer Enterprise Advisers (EAs) with a school or college to help build a strategic employer engagement plan to improve careers and enterprise provision within the school. The post will focus everyone’s efforts on programmes and activities that are most effective in motivating young people, supporting independent choice, and supporting positive outcomes for young people.
This role will also include working collaboratively with Solent Careers Hub Lead, Enterprise Coordinators, and external stakeholders to increase employer engagement and workplace experiences for young people locally. This will include supporting the implementation of modern work experience and increasing the number of encounters with local employers.
Hybrid working attendance requirements:
Minimum of 2 days per week in Portsmouth - will be required to spend time in IOW and Southampton
The ideal candidate
Will have/be
- Level 3 or above qualification or equivalent relevant experience in related field
- Experience of partnership working with employers and an understanding of the skills improvement priorities.
- Knowledge or experience of the education system and/or careers education.
- Experience of engaging and building relationships with stakeholders including schools, colleges and businesses.
- Experience of supporting the delivery of programmes or projects with multiple stakeholders.
- An understanding of relevant local and national policy relating to skills and economic development and the issues and barriers to employment faced by young people.
- An understanding of post-16 landscape including National Apprenticeship Service, Uni-Connect, National Careers Service and T Levels.
Skills and Core competencies
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to persuade and influence a variety of audiences and encourage others to use new ways of working.
- Strong collaborative working and relationship building skills at all levels, both internally and with a range of external stakeholders.
- Proactive, with the ability to work independently, prioritising a busy workload, managing relationships with a large number of stakeholders and adapting conflicting priorities and deadlines.
- Ability to meet deadlines, work on a range projects, and work both independently and as part of a team.
- Competent use of a range of digital and IT and social media platforms in order to improve and raise awareness of the direct impact of the network.
- A full driving licence is desirable as this will be advantageous when travelling across region.
Please ensure that you read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement on your application.
Interview date: 27th August 2025
Application process
We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.
As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.
We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under one of our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however for roles that receive a large number of applications, this is not always possible, and we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria
You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.
About Portsmouth City Council
What we can offer you:
Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.
Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our careers portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council
Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800
