Adult guidance worker : Job description

Adult guidance workers help clients clarify options about their future by offering information, advice and guidance on education, training and work opportunities. They frequently work with people at times of transition brought about by factors such as redundancy, health issues, or a desire or need to change career.

Work may focus on hard to reach or marginalised groups including unemployed or disabled people and people with few educational qualifications.

Whatever the setting, whether as part of a team in a large organisation or as a sole operator in a voluntary group, an adult guidance worker focuses on enabling clients to move forward in their personal development, education and professional training.

Typical work activities

Adult guidance workers may work with individuals or groups in a variety of settings.

Tasks typically involve:

• providing clients with information and advice in person, via email or telephone on the options open to them;
• using short drop-in interviews, an extended interview or a series of face-to-face interviews requiring a high level of counselling skills to help clients interpret information and choose the most appropriate course of action;
• designing and delivering group sessions on career management topics;
• using a variety of assessment tools, such as ability or personality tests, computer-based interest guides or skills inventories, to help clients identify, clarify and assess their needs;
• building up and maintaining knowledge of information resources on education, training and work in order to signpost clients to the information they need;
• collecting, updating and producing information on local opportunities or in a particular employment sector;
• offering a range of other support to clients, such as supported use of ICT facilities, to enable them to identify and take up opportunities;
• referring clients to other agencies, such as government agencies, learning and training providers or specialist organisations, and advocating on their behalf where necessary;
• liaising closely with welfare, finance and careers services (for those working in a college setting);
• undertaking outreach work, such as visiting community groups to talk about learning opportunities;
• planning and coordinating or attending events and fairs to market opportunities to prospective students;
• securing, carrying out and monitoring contracts, such as Next Step ;
• meeting targets and reporting to funders;
• bidding for additional funding and projects;
• developing and maintaining a network of contacts with other providers of information, advice and guidance (IAG), joining relevant professional associations where possible;
• undertaking administrative tasks such as setting up and maintaining client records, recording statistical data and producing management reports;
• working towards and maintaining accreditation with quality frameworks such as MATRIX or Investors in People;
• working with local further and higher education institutions on initiatives designed to widen participation, such as Aimhigher , or 'taster' courses.