Support Officer

Job Title: Support Officer
Starting Salary: £25,583 progressing to £28,142 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 22.2 over 3 days
Location: Stevenage - Hybrid
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract - 31st March 2029
Directorate: Growth & Environment

About the team

Step2Skills are looking for someone with a passion for empowering adults across the County to make informed, confident choices about their learning, training and employment.

As part of Hertfordshire County Council, Step2Skills adult learning and employment support service provides opportunities for adults in Hertfordshire to get involved in learning and employment within the community. We aim to work with people who face barriers to education and employment such as low skills, learning or physical disabilities and mental health conditions.

You will be part of a recently formed Information, Advice and Guidance Team with Step2Skills supporting the Information, Advice and Guidance Lead to fulfil the vision for the service.

The Information, Advice and Guidance Team’s purpose is to provide clear, accessible pathways for adults within our provision to explore learning, training and employment opportunities. We aim to help individuals understand their options, broaden their horizons and identify progression routes that support their personal and professional development. Through collaboration and a commitment to equity, we ensure that Hertfordshire residents can access impartial guidance and overcome barriers to success.

About the role

You will be responsible for answering skills and employment support enquiries to the service, completing initial meetings with those applying for our supported employment programmes to check eligibility and suitability, conducting pathway conversations with individuals to support their learning and employment support journey with us as well as signposting to other organisations where necessary.

You will be the first point of contact for the service and will be talking to residents across Hertfordshire ensuring they are able to access the right opportunity suited to their aspirations and goals.

About you

Essential:

• Demonstrated ability to accurately log and track calls, actions, and tasks using relevant systems and tools
• Demonstrable experience of planning, managing and prioritising your own workload, including a caseload of learners and participants.
• Demonstrable experience of communicating well, verbally and in writing including using active listening to understand.
• Demonstrable experience of working in an environment where you need to understand and follow rules about ascertaining eligibility and suitability for a service
• Demonstrable experience of being able to adapt to changing or new processes.
• Demonstrable experience of signposting or multi-agency working to support positive outcomes
• Willingness to share best practice with the team and commitment to continued professional development
• Good IT skills – use of Client Record Management Systems and Microsoft Office
• You will have current knowledge, understanding and experience of providing information, advice and guidance to adults. It would be beneficial if this was in relation to education, training and employment.
• You will hold a Level 2 Information, Advice and Guidance qualification or be working towards this, or committed to doing so.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 6. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles: Business support services

We are looking for a motivated, customer service focused individual who is passionate about helping Hertfordshire residents understand their options, broaden their horizons and identify routes that support their personal and professional development. You will have the ability to manage workload, determine priorities and share best practice.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Sarah Johnson 01992 588677 for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 5th & 8th June 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.