Student Progression Mentor

About The Role Support. Inspire. Empower. Become a Student Progression Mentor and help shape brighter futures. As a Student Progression Mentor at EKC Sheppey College, you’ll be at the heart of student support, guiding learners through challenges and helping them grow into confident, independent individuals. In this rewarding role, you will: Provide one-to-one mentoring to support students’ personal and academic development Work closely with disaffected or disengaged young people to re-engage them in their learning Help students overcome barriers, build resilience, and realise their full potential Why join EKC Group? Make a lasting difference in students’ lives Gain valuable qualifications including: Mental Health First Aid Autism Awareness Counselling Concepts Safeguarding & DUST Referrals Join a supportive team passionate about student wellbeing and success Step into a role where every day is an opportunity to empower the next generation. Role Details Hours per week: 37 Weeks per year: 38 Salary: £19,611 Holiday pay: £2,646 Benefits Learning and Development Opportunities – 3-4 annual paid group development days, bespoke programmes e.g. Next Steps Mentoring Programme and strong internal progression – 1 in 3 roles are filled internally Exclusive Discounts & Perks – Inc. restaurant, grocery, retail and holidays discounts as well as car leasing and tech purchasing schemes Flexible Personal Leave – Time off for your child's first day at nursery or school, moving homes and for interviews Wellbeing and Health Support – Generous sick pay, counselling services, discounted gym membership at Canterbury College Culture and Recognition – Being part of Community Days, an annual Staff Celebration Day, and an eco-friendly organisation dedicated to reaching net‑zero by 2030 Competitive Pension Scheme – 18% employer contribution About You We are seeking to appoint a proactive and motivated Student Progression Mentor to join our dedicated team. In this vital student-facing role, you’ll help ensure learners are supported throughout their time at college, enabling them to thrive academically and personally. You’ll be: An excellent communicator, able to build strong relationships with students, staff, parents, and external agencies Empathetic, supportive and non-judgmental, with a genuine commitment to student wellbeing Calm under pressure and able to respond effectively to the changing demands of a busy college environment Have experience supporting young people, particularly those with mental health difficulties (desirable) Demonstrate a flexible, positive and solution-focused approach Additional responsibilities include: Maintaining accurate records and reporting concerns to relevant departments Supporting students to engage, achieve and progress Using Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) confidently and effectively If you’re passionate about making a difference and feel this role aligns with your skills and experience, we’d love to hear from you. No need to spend time updating your CV – just click Apply and complete our short application form. You can save your progress as you go, and we’ll review all applications after the closing date. For an informal chat or if you have any questions, please email us at jobs@ekcgroup.ac.uk. About Us Outstanding Ofsted Provider East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider. It is proud to be the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to have received the Outstanding grade against each of the strands under the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group and this is illustrated in our ‘Strong’ skills grading by Ofsted. Commitment to Safeguarding We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles. As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self‑declaration, Enhanced DBS check and obtaining sufficient referencing. It is a criminal offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so. If you are successful in being shortlisted to interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process. Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion East Kent Colleges Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our staff body and encourage applications from candidates where there is underrepresentation in our workforce. We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. With any successful candidate, we will explore any reasonable adjustments to a role due to a health needs or disability. Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) with a commitment to interview applicants who meet the positions essential criteria and have declared this on their application. We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break. We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in-house recruitment team. #J-18808-Ljbffr