Associate Student Engagement Officer

About The Role

We are currently seeking an Associate Student Engagement Officer to join our Student Services department at The Bedford College Group. As an Associate, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Student Engagement & Behaviour Support - Promote and reinforce positive student behaviour, attendance, punctuality, independent learning, and adherence to college values, challenging inappropriate conduct and supporting students to make positive choices.
• Student Welfare, Inclusion & Wellbeing - Build supportive relationships with students, promote wellbeing services, assist with referrals to specialist support teams, act as a First Aider and Mental Health First Aider, and contribute to a safe and inclusive college environment.
• Campus Presence & Student Monitoring - Conduct regular campus checks, monitor student engagement and ID badge compliance, supervise social and communal spaces, and identify learners who may require additional support or intervention.
• Enrichment & Student Development - Support the planning and delivery of enrichment activities and programmes that enhance students' personal development, confidence, behaviour, attitudes, and engagement in college life.
• Collaboration, Safeguarding & Compliance - Work closely with curriculum, safeguarding, wellbeing, and estates teams, accurately record interventions using college systems, contribute to departmental objectives, and uphold safeguarding, EDI, health & safety, and professional development responsibilities.

About You

• Qualifications & Professional Development - Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths, First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid (or willingness to obtain), with a commitment to achieving further professional qualifications and ongoing development.
• Youth Engagement & Student Support Experience - Experience working with young people in education, youth work, or similar settings, with the ability to motivate, engage, and empower students from diverse backgrounds to take responsibility for their behaviour and personal development.
• Safeguarding, Wellbeing & Inclusion Knowledge - Strong understanding of safeguarding, equality, diversity, barriers to learning, and support services, with experience signposting young people to appropriate internal and external support agencies.
• Communication, Relationship Building & Behaviour Management - Excellent interpersonal, networking, and communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships, maintain professional boundaries, challenge behaviour constructively, and respond calmly to incidents and difficult situations.
• Organisation, Teamwork & Professionalism - Strong administrative and IT skills, ability to maintain accurate records, work collaboratively across departments, contribute to team objectives, support colleagues in high-pressure situations, and demonstrate flexibility in working patterns, including evenings and weekends when required.

What is an Associate?

Associates work on a short-term basis as assigned. They teach or provide support services, and they work with and are supported by core staff. As an Associate you will be issued with an Associate Agreement, under this Agreement period you will be eligible to work on assignments offered to you.

Organisational VISION Values

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group

The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year. Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.