Vocational Learning Lead

Vocational Learning Lead - Band 6 (Subject to AFC Panel)

This is an exciting time to progress your career at Stockport Foundation Trust as Vocational Learning Lead within the Learning and Education Team.

We are seeking an experienced, skilled, and compassionate candidate for the role. The successful candidate will be driven to further expand our Widening Participation offering.

The role is a pivotal in ensuring that the Trust builds a workforce fit for the future. You will be responsible for working with operational and clinical leaders and external stakeholders to ensure our services are equipped to meet the needs of tomorrow’s patients.

The post holder will lead the planning, arranging, monitoring and evaluation of programmes that form part of our Apprenticeship/Widening Participation plans; aligned to our People Plan. This includes Pre-employment, Supported Internship, Traineeship, Apprenticeship, Work Experience, and elements of the T-Levels offer.

We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

Our mission is to make a difference every day. Our values are that we care, we respect, and we listen

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

The salary for the role is only one part of the excellent package of benefits we offer to you:

• Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
• NHS pension scheme membership
• Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further
• NHS Staff discounts
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary finance - for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt
• Stockport Credit Union- for local financial advice

Apprenticeships

• Provide operational support to the Trust around all aspects of apprenticeship implementation and working with HEE colleagues to ensure the Trust is in line with priorities and funding.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to advise and deliver on career development and appropriate apprenticeship pathways.
• Provide subject matter expertise on early careers and apprenticeships to managers at all levels across the Trust.
• Lead the development, delivery, and monitoring of clinical and non-clinical apprenticeship programmes.
• Promote a full range of apprenticeships standards and offerings in line with Trust priorities and objectives.
• Keep abreast of regional and national changes in relation to apprenticeships.
• Embed apprenticeships as a developmental tool to help current staff gain new knowledge and skills to provide individual career pathways and develop teams.
• Monitor learners’ progress and liaise with managers to ensure learners are supported on programme.
• Manage the Digital Apprenticeship Service including all levy transfers.
• Provide regular governance reports and quality improvement plans associated with apprenticeships, including levy spend and forecast to the Educational Governance Group.
• Work with learners and their line manager to overcome any barriers that may impede their ability to participate in development opportunities. Including, but not limited to, sign posting to additional learning support; (i.e., functional skills).
• In partnership with subject matter experts, oversee the procurement process for each new, or renewing apprenticeship programme with various training providers in line with the Salisbury procurement framework.
• Lead the communication and marketing strategy for apprenticeships, including face to face educational sessions and webinars e.g., National Apprenticeship week.

Widening Participation

• Lead the development of Widening Participation strategies (Pre-employment, Supported Internship, Traineeship, Work Experience), working with key stakeholders, internal and external to the Trust.
• Engage with and work in partnership with local colleges and sixth form schools in the community to promote healthcare careers at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.
• Oversee the Work Experience Programme for the Trust including, T-levels and other government initiatives including the commissioning of programmes from external providers monitoring contract and analysing data from quality activity to ensure return of investment.
• Provide support, advice, and guidance to managers to embed vocational development programmes in various clinical and non-clinical settings.
• Undertake analysis, interpretation and resolution of complex concepts and problems.
• Work in partnership with external organisations to procure appropriate training providers.
• Monitor the quality and outcomes of external programmes undertaken through external training providers etc.
• Be responsible for reporting as required, updating the status of all aspects of the Widening Participation programmes.
• Develop innovative digital solutions which meet the strategic aims of the Widening Participation Programme, such as Digital Work Experience programmes.
• Work with local partners to present and maximise the opportunities to support interventions and opportunities which contribute to developing a future workforce able to support integrated care and out of hospital developments across the health economy. Establishing relationships with key stakeholders e.g., the Career Hubs, Job Centre, DWP, local schools, colleges, and local charitable organisations.

Appraisals

• Produce and circulate monthly divisional and whole-Trust appraisal compliance reports.
• Identify training and extra support requirements for hot-spot areas to improve quality and compliance rate of appraisals.

Long Service Awards

• Responsible for the management and coordination of the Long Service Awards including the continuous improvement through evaluation and feedback to maximise our staff’s experience.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and promote safeguarding by implementing the Trust’s policies and procedures, acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately.