At West Sussex County Council (WSCC), we're committed to making our communities fairer, more inclusive, and full of opportunity. Every day, our services impact the lives of over 850,000 residents and now, we're looking for someone with passion, empathy and drive to help more people access meaningful employment, training or work experience within our organisation.
If you believe in breaking down barriers, building confidence and aspirations, supporting and empowering people and creating pathways into work, this role offers the chance to make a real and lasting difference.
The Opportunity Salary: £36,363 to £39,152 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed term or Secondment opportunity until July 2027
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Location: Based - County Hall, Chichester (Hybrid working)
Interview date: w/c 27 April 2026
As an Employability Advisor, you'll support residents who may face additional barriers into work, helping them access roles, training and early career opportunities within WSCC.
You'll work directly with job seekers on a 1:1 and group basis, from identifying skills and preparing applications, to boosting confidence and getting people ready for interview. You will also co‑design employment pathways with managers and external partners, ensuring WSCC remains an employer of choice for diverse talent.
What are we looking for? As our Employability Advisor, you will be:
Empowering job seekersSupporting a small caseload of "career‑ready" applicants from priority groups identified by local and national statistics.Providing tailored 1:1 employability guidance, including applications, CVs, interview prep and confidence‑building.Delivering workshops in job centres, community spaces and youth settings, promoting WSCC as an employer.Building inclusive employment pathways
Using insight, data and lived experience to identify and remove barriers to employment.Working closely with managers, recruiters and the apprenticeships team to develop roles such as supported internships, entry‑level opportunities and work experience.Championing early careers
Delivering programmes and activities for early career candidatesEngaging with schools, colleges, job centres, adult learning services and charities to create direct pathways into WSCC.Strengthening partnerships
Building strong relationships with internal teams and external partners to grow referrals and widen reach.Collaborating across agencies to ensure people receive the right support at the right time.What you'll need to succeedWe're looking for someone who is:
An excellent communicator who builds trust with ease.Confident delivering workshops and working with groups.Skilled at empowering people, spotting potential and challenging barriers.Able to juggle an active caseload with outreach, workshops and stakeholder engagement.Comfortable analysing information, identifying trends and making evidence‑based recommendations.You'll bring:
A Level 4 qualification in Careers Information, Advice & Guidance (or equivalent experience).Experience providing employability support to people with additional barriers.Strong stakeholder engagement skills across multiple organisations.A commitment to equal opportunities and inclusive practice.Making a difference every dayIn this role, the impact is real and visible. You'll help residents access life‑changing opportunities and contribute to a more inclusive workforce across West Sussex.
Together, we're building a workforce that reflects our communities, and a culture where everyone feels welcomed and supported.
If you're passionate about equity, talent development and community empowerment, we would love to hear from you.
Working for usAs well as adding real value to our service users and our communities, as an employer we recognise our employees are central in being able to achieve this. To recognise this we want to help support your development and provide a great place to work ensuring you can fulfil your full potential, have access to a range of benefits including:
an excellent local government pension schemegenerous holiday entitlement of 27 days (plus opportunity to buy additional leave)a range of flexible working options, depending on your job rolematernity, paternity, dependency and adoption leavevolunteering opportunitiestraining and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoringa range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (see ourStaff discounts page if you are a business looking to offer a discount)health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash PlansFor a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further information The reference number for this role is CRS01047.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Aaron Gumbrell (EDI Lead) at aaron.gumbrell@westsussex.gov.uk. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.
Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 3 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
