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If you require this advert in another format, please contact recruitment@sds.co.uk or call 0300 013 5119.

We are recruiting a Full Time Trainee Careers Adviser

Skills Development Scotland has an exciting opportunity for a customer focussed individual to join our Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) team as a Trainee Careers Adviser (TCA).

This is an excellent opportunity to join our organisation and experience our bespoke TCA training programme with a commitment to become a permanent Careers Adviser; like sixty of our Careers Advisers have done before!

You’ll be supported in this programme both with an in‑house comprehensive training plan alongside a fully funded vocational Diploma in Career Guidance and Development. You can hear from one of our existing TCAs here.

Hear more about the role of a Careers Adviser and how they support our customers.

Hear first‑hand from some of our Careers Advisers about the benefits and lifestyle of a career in the career service at SDS and what makes them so passionate about their jobs.

and also hear from one of our Careers Adviser working around Inverness area!

SDS has designed a comprehensive bespoke training plan for our TCAs which would include undertaking a work‑based qualification to become a fully qualified Careers Adviser. The provider of this work‑based qualification is still to be confirmed, but enrolment would be expected in March 2026.

To support you in completing this qualification, you will receive one day paid study leave per week, in addition to the personal study expected at this level. Upon satisfactory completion of the qualification, your SDS training plan, and meeting performance standards, you will progress to the position of Careers Adviser.

The starting salary is £29,176, with structured pay progression throughout your traineeship as you achieve set milestones aligned with the qualification. As a qualified Careers Adviser, you can expect to earn £43,020 annually.

As you work with us, you will also gain supported firsthand experience of engaging with and supporting our customers as we enable them to identify, develop and use their career management skills. This is in line with the Professional Body’s ethical and national occupational standards expectation.

Ideally, you’ll be educated to SCQF level 9 (degree), however, we would also invite applications from candidates with educated to SCQF level 8 (HND) and has substantial experience in employability, education, and/or public service role. To succeed in this role, you must be fully committed to undertake study at Graduate level while performing the duties of a Trainee Careers Adviser.

With a genuine desire to work in this person‑centred profession and geographical area, experience in employability, education and /or public service would be beneficial. The role will involve engaging with customers of all ages, in schools, in SDS premises or community environments, so strong interpersonal skills are essential.

As part of a geographically dispersed team, the Careers Adviser role will be well suited to someone who is able to work well as part of a team and who can work well independently with self‑direction in complex work environments.

SDS takes its duty of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults very seriously. Due to the type of work and customer contact employees in Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) have with young people and their personal data, successful applicants will be subject to a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check by Disclosure Scotland. PVG is an government regulated scheme undertakes a criminal record check to ensure that any potential employee is suitable to work with young people or have access to their personal data. We will explain more about this scheme and the process if you are successful following the selection process.

We’d love for you to join us and make an impact you can be proud of!

Skills Development Scotland is the national skills agency. Our ambition is to drive productivity and inclusive growth through investment in skills, enabling businesses and people to achieve their potential. Through the sharing of expertise, intelligence, and extensive partnership working, we enable the development and delivery of innovative solutions to Scotland’s skills and labour market challenges. This is even more important given the current economic climate and recessionary outlook. Find out more about SDS here

• We put the needs of our customers at the heart of all we do
• We make use of our combined strengths and expertise to deliver the best outcomes
• We demonstrate self‑motivation, personal responsibility, and respect
• We continually improve to achieve excellence

SDS is an award‑winning equal opportunities and fair work employer. Our values and culture are owned and driven by our colleagues and show our commitment to our customers – the people of Scotland. Our employees enjoy a wide variety of progressive benefits and working practices. We prioritise employee engagement, wellbeing, and development, making us a great place to work.

Click here to see the full range of our Benefits.

This role is based in Inverness; this role cannot be delivered remotely so there must be a genuine commitment to be based in this location. Due to the geography of the role, travel will be required to areas not easily reached by public transport so access to a car or other means of transport (for example, Access to Work arrangements) is desirable due to the nature and geography covered in the role.

At SDS we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want our organisation to reflect the people of Scotland. If you’ve got the right skills for the job, we want to hear from you. However, as we do not have as many employees who are disabled, care experienced, male or from minority ethnic communities, we would particularly welcome applications from these groups. To support our ambitions our application process is anonymised. Therefore, while we want to know about your relevant skills and experience, please avoid disclosing any identifying characteristics.

The closing date to submit your application is 4th January. Interviews are expected to be held between 14th January and 15th January.

More information on the interview format will be made available if you are invited to interview. To find out more about working at SDS and our application process please visit us at https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/work-with-us/

If this opportunity excites you and you would like to discuss the role in more detail to help you decide if it is right for you, please contact mhairi.bauld@sds.co.uk.

Internal applicants should discuss their application with their People Manager prior to applying for this post.