Trainee Careers Adviser - Kirkcaldy

If you require this advert in another format, please contact recruitment@sds.co.uk or call 0300 013 5119.  

SDS is committed to being an exemplar of fair work and an Employer of Choice. In our 2024 employee engagement survey 70% of colleagues who responded told us they would recommend SDS as a place to work! 

We are recruiting a Full Time Trainee Careers Adviser

About You and the Role

Skills Development Scotland has an exciting opportunity for a customer focussed individual to join our Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) team as a Trainee Careers Adviser (TCA).

This is an excellent opportunity to join our organisation and experience our bespoke TCA development programme with a commitment to become a permanent Careers Adviser, like sixty of our Careers Advisers have done before. You can hear from one of our existing TCAs here.

You will be supported in this programme both with an in-house comprehensive development plan alongside a fully funded Post Graduate Diploma in Career Guidance and Development and Qualification in Career Development (QCD).

Hear more about the role of a Careers Advisers and how they support our customers.

Hear first-hand from some of our Careers Advisers about the benefits and lifestyle of a career in the career service at SDS and what makes them so passionate about their jobs.

Our commitment to you

SDS has designed a comprehensive bespoke development plan for our TCAs that combines both academic and on the job learning.  The Postgraduate academic study will be provided by Edinburgh Napier University[1] commencing September 2025 and this study will be part time via distance learning over 2 years. To enable you to undertake this study you will receive one day paid study leave per week, this is over and above the personal study expected of a course at this level. Subject to satisfactory completion of the qualification, completion of your SDS training plan for PGDip QCD learners, and satisfactory performance, you will progress to the position of Careers Adviser.

You can check out the qualification to understand a bit more about what is involved.

As part of your training plan there is structured pay progression through your traineeship as you reach and achieve set milestones. These milestones are in line with how you progress through the PGDip QCD qualification.

As you work with us, you will also gain supported firsthand experience of engaging with and supporting our customers as we enable them to identify, develop and use their career management skills. This is in line with the Professional Body’s ethical and national occupational standards expectation.

About You

Ideally you will be educated to degree level/SCQF level 9, but we would also invite applications from candidates with an HND SCQF 8 who have considerable work experience in an employability, education, and/or public service role. To be successful in the role, you must be fully committed to undertake study at post graduate level while performing the duties of a Trainee Careers Adviser. 

With a genuine desire to work in this person-centred profession and geographical area, experience in employability, education and /or public service would be beneficial. The role will involve engaging with customers of all ages, in schools, in SDS premises or community environments, so strong interpersonal skills are essential.

As part of a geographically dispersed team, the Careers Adviser role will be well suited to someone who is able to work well as part of a team and who can work well independently with self-direction in complex work environments.

SDS takes its duty of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults very seriously. Due to the type of work and customer contact employees in Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) have with young people and their personal data, successful applicants will be subject to a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check by Disclosure Scotland.  PVG is a government regulated scheme which undertakes a criminal record check to ensure that any potential employee is suitable to work with young people or have access to their personal data. We will explain more about this scheme and the process if you are successful following the selection process. 

We’d love for you to join us and make an impact you can be proud of!

About SDS

Skills Development Scotland is the national skills agency. Our ambition is to drive productivity and inclusive growth through investment in skills, enabling businesses and people to achieve their potential. Through the sharing of expertise, intelligence, and extensive partnership working, we enable the development and delivery of innovative solutions to Scotland’s skills and labour market challenges. This is even more important given the current economic climate and recessionary outlook. Find out more about SDS here

Values

Our organisational values are created by our colleagues and are the compass that guide our behaviours and actions with our customers and each other. We need our future colleagues to share these values and help us to continue to deliver our bold ambitions for the future.

• We put the needs of our customers at the heart of all we do
• We make use of our combined strengths and expertise to deliver the best outcomes
• We demonstrate self-motivation, personal responsibility, and respect
• We continually improve to achieve excellence

Benefits  

SDS is an award-winning equal opportunities and fair work employer. Our values and culture are owned and driven by our colleagues and show our commitment to our customers - the people of Scotland. Our employees enjoy a wide variety of progressive benefits and working practices. We prioritise employee engagement, wellbeing, and development, making us a great place to work. 

Click here to see the full range of our Benefits. 

Where you would be based 

This role is based in Kirkcaldy, hear from one of the team. This role cannot be delivered remotely so there must be a genuine commitment to be based in this location. Due to the geography of the role, travel will be required to areas not easily reached by public transport so access to a car or other means of transport (for example, Access To Work arrangements) is desirable due to the nature and geography covered in the role.

SDS as an Inclusive Workplace

At SDS we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.  If you've got the right skills for the job, we want to hear from you. We encourage applications from the right candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, or race. To support our ambitions our application process is anonymised. Therefore, while we want to know about your relevant skills and experience, please avoid disclosing any identifying characteristics.

Our Application Process

The closing date to submit your application is 26^th May. Interviews are expected to be held week commencing 9^th June.

The anticipated start date for successful candidates is 4^th August.

More information on the interview format will be made available if you are invited to interview.  To find out more about working at SDS and our application process please visit us at https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/work-with-us/

If this opportunity excites you and you would like to discuss the role in more detail to help you decide if it is right for you, please contact Joyce.McAreeMiller@sds.co.uk

Internal applicants should discuss their application with their People Manager prior to applying for this post.