Workforce Development Specialist

• Location: Manchester
• Job Type: Full-time
• Salary: Up to £42,000

We are recruiting on behalf of our client for a Workforce Development Specialist in the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering sector. This role is crucial for assisting businesses, their leaders, and workforce in reaching their full growth potential through improved employment practices, productivity, sustainability, and job creation.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Establish and maintain effective relations with business owners/leaders and key contacts to promote the work of the Workforce Development team and facilitate high-quality referrals.
• Work in partnership with the sector development lead to build on the sector development plan focusing on productivity and growth through people.
• Support the development and growth of advanced manufacturing businesses through workforce planning, addressing needs around succession planning.
• Identify and support businesses to implement strategies to address key workforce development challenges, focusing on apprenticeships, T-level placements, and work experience.
• Support inclusivity by helping businesses employ locally based staff, focusing on health, wellbeing, social-standing, and development.
• Work with a diverse range of training providers using the Skills Map portal to provide impartial brokerage training solutions.
• Develop and maintain a high-level network of business/professional contacts that generate personal referrals.
• Handle client enquiries via various methods to assess growth potential, workforce, and business needs, ensuring accurate recording and timely administration on the CRM.
• Undertake detailed diagnostics with businesses to identify the appropriate support, followed by detailed organisation/training needs analysis.
• Deliver bespoke workforce development support directly to each individual, department, and company.
• Ensure the monitoring and collection of output and impacts data is undertaken in line with funders’ requirements.
• Deliver group learning/cohort sessions on specific topics to a mixed group of businesses.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Expertise in facilitating, coaching, organisational change management, performance analysis, people management, and more.
• In-depth understanding of the workforce development arena and the Greater Manchester Workforce Strategy.
• Significant experience in the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering sector on workforce planning and development.
• Demonstrable experience in completing organisational and training needs assessments and creating development plans.
• Excellent presentation, communication, networking, and project management skills.
• Well-developed IT skills, including CRM databases.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and handle challenging workforce situations.
• Degree/CIPD level qualifications or relevant business experience in a related field.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary with potential for growth.
• Opportunity to work in a dynamic and supportive environment.
• Access to training and development programs.
• Involvement in a wide network of business professionals and specialists.