Adult Guidance Worker Duties & Responsibilities

The role and function of an Adult Guidance Worker includes the following duties and responsibilities:

• Providing clients with information and advice in person, via email or telephone on the options open to them;
• Managing a caseload, which is often comprised of a particular client group;
• Using a variety of assessment tools, such as ability or personality tests, computer-based interest guides or skills inventories and diagnostic tools, to help clients identify, clarify and assess their needs;
• Building up and maintaining knowledge of information resources on education, training and work in order to signpost clients to the information they need;
• Developing and maintaining a network of contacts with other providers of IAG, joining relevant professional associations where possible;
• Undertaking administrative tasks, such as setting up and maintaining client records, conducting audits, recording statistical data and producing management reports;
• Working towards and maintaining accreditation with quality frameworks such as MATRIX or Investors in People;
• Designing and delivering group sessions aimed at building employability skills;
• Organising local jobs fairs and maintaining job boards;
• Undertaking outreach work, such as visiting community groups to talk about learning opportunities;
• Meeting targets and reporting to funders – some contracts are paid on outcome rather than the activities delivered;
• Planning and coordinating or attending events and fairs to market opportunities to prospective students;
• Securing, carrying out and monitoring contracts;
• Bidding for additional funding and projects, followed by writing contracts and reports;
• Collecting, updating and producing information on local opportunities or in a particular employment sector;
• Offering a range of other support to clients, such as supported use of ICT facilities, to enable them to identify and take up opportunities;
• Referring clients to other agencies, such as government agencies, learning and training providers or specialist organisations, and advocating on their behalf where necessary;
• Liaising closely with welfare, finance and careers services;
• Using short drop-in interviews, an extended interview or a series of face-to-face interviews requiring a high level of counselling skills to help clients interpret information and choose the most appropriate course of action;
• Working with local further and higher education institutions on initiatives designed to widen participation, such as ‘taster’ or funded courses.

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Adult Guidance Worker duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Adult Guidance Worker roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.