Member - Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa (Careers Wales)
- Body
- Welsh Government
- Appointing Department
- Wales Office
- Sectors
- Communities, Education
- Location
- CCDG meetings, which are held quarterly, will predominantly take place at venues throughout Wales and the expectation is that Board members will engage with their duties on a Pan Wales basis
- Number of Vacancies
- 3
- Remuneration
- Board Members of the CCDG are not employees of the company or Welsh Government and currently serve in a voluntary, unpaid capacity.
- Time Requirements
- 8 days per year
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
30/11/2016
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Closed for Applications
02/01/2017
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Panel Sift
TBC
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Final Interview Date
TBC
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Announcement
TBC
Vacancy Description
Careers information advice and guidance services are currently offered to school and further education students, young people not undertaking an educational course, as well as adults.
Currently, these services are being delivered through Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa (CCDG) operating under the name of Careers Wales. CCDG is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government.
3 new Board members are to be appointed to start 28 April 2017. The appointments will be made through a fair and open public appointment process.
Careers Wales has a budget of £18m Core Revenue Funding from Welsh Government for 2016-2017. The company will be managing future delivery against a challenging financial settlement.
Careers Wales provides an impartial and free (at point of delivery) careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) service.
Careers Wales will continue to provide services, integrating online, phone and face-to-face platforms to drive efficiency, while incorporating changes to the delivery of services using new technologies.
Careers Wales works proactively at local and national levels with the private and public sectors to help deliver Welsh Government economic, education, skills and social strategies.
Careers Wales is currently involved in:
• Qualified for Life
• Youth Engagement and Progression Framework
• Child Poverty Strategy for Wales
• Learning Pathways 14-19
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
• Support to schools which have responsibility for the delivery of the statutory Careers and the World of Work (CWW) Curriculum
• Skills and Training Initiatives e.g. AMS (Apprenticeship Matching Service) Career Wales has four functional areas each headed by a Director reporting to the CCDG Chief Executive, who is responsible for the management of the organisation.
These four operational areas are: developing services; delivering services; improving performance and managing business / resources.
Key policy and operational functions then sit below each of these Directors e.g. human resources, research and evaluation, risk management, promotion and partnership working.
Role of Careers Wales
The overriding aim of Careers Wales will be to achieve high quality outcomes for individuals in terms of effective career planning, successful transition into further education, employment or training and sustained progression. These outcomes will have a demonstrable impact e.g. fewer young people disengaged from employment, education and training.
The challenge to the careers service is to:
• Work with schools, colleges and a range of other agencies and organisations to support young people’s progression through education into further learning or employment (11-14, 14-16).
• Support 16-18 year olds to ensure progression, including the young unemployed 16 and 17 year olds;
• Support adults facing redundancy or who have been made redundant.
• Assist unemployed adults aged 25 plus through the Skills Gateway.
• Provide more focussed and intensive support to priority client groups as identified in the annual remit letter:- http://gov.wales/topics/educationandskills/pathways/careers/?lang=en
Careers Wales is expected to produce a high quality and comprehensive business plan in response to an annual remit letter from Ministers. The annual business plan must include sufficient detail to provide assurance that priorities are being taken forward.
Boards Role
The role of the board is to:
• provide effective leadership; defining and developing strategic direction and setting challenging objectives;
• promote high standards of public finance, upholding the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money;
• ensure that CCDG’s activities are conducted efficiently and effectively; and
• monitor performance to ensure that CCDG fully meets its aims, objectives and performance targets.
Person Specification
A Board Member of Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa (Careers Wales) will:
• Play an active role in delivering the CCDG’s remit and ensuring CCDG will achieve maximum impact. This will include sharing their expertise in what works, challenging the status quo and suggesting solutions;
• Ensure compliance with relevant procurement rules, both in relation to the Welsh Government funding of CCDG (as a wholly owned Welsh Government subsidiary and Teckal company) and CCDG expenditure as a contracting authority subject to the procurement rules.
• Attend Board meetings regularly and prepare thoroughly for those meetings;
• Be prepared to serve on sub committees;
• To provide leadership to CCDG management and staff in implementing the Careers Wales Strategic Vision, Changing Lives – A Vision for Careers Wales;
• Actively provide, and balance, both challenge and support to CCDG management and staff in their work;
• Represent CCDG at public functions;
• Promote the profile of CCDG; and
• Facilitate contact with CCDG’s stakeholders.
Person specification
CCDG is seeking three new board members with a range of expertise, across a broad range of economic sectors, professions and social groups. In particular, we would be pleased to receive applications from individuals with commercial expertise and background in the following sectors:
• advanced manufacturing and materials;
• professional and financial;
• food and drink;
• ICT and new technologies;
• tourism;
• marketing.
We would also be pleased to receive applications from individuals with skills in the following areas;
• Corporate governance;
• Procurement and tendering;
• Policy development;
• Digital transformation;
• Entrepreneurship.
Essential Criteria
In addition board members will demonstrate the following qualities:
• A proven track record in building relationships with a range of stakeholders, in particular with employers;
• Knowledge and understanding of learning and work issues at community, local and regional or national levels.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly and succinctly explain complex issues, while demonstrating respect for the views of others.
• Sound judgement, sensitivity and political awareness;
To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment.
Candidates shortlisted for interview will be required to expand on how they meet the criteria above using examples and evidence.
Welsh Language
Welsh Language skills are desirable for all three posts. Although Welsh language skills are not essential all candidates should demonstrate an awareness of the importance of the Welsh language in a bilingual Wales with an appreciation of the Welsh Government’s policies and strategies for the language.
CCDG currently provides its services bilingually and will play a clear role in the promotion and integration of support and advice regarding the Welsh language and Welsh language skills in its operations and delivery of advisory services.
Additional Information
For further information regarding the selection process, please contact:
The Corporate Shared Service Centre Tel: 029 2082 5454 Email: sharedservicehelpdesk@wales.gsi.gov.uk
For further information regarding the role of the CCDG Board and the role of Board Members, please contact: Vicky Green, Youth Support Manager, Youth Support and Guidance:
Tel: 0300 025 0234 Email: vicky.green@wales.gsi.gov.uk