Vacancy -- Member - Career Choices (CCDG) Trading as Careers Wales - Welsh Essential

Vacancy details

Careers Wales
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. As part of a reasonable adjustment, consideration will be given to requests for members wishing to contribute remotely.

Board Members of CCDG are not employees of the company or Welsh Government and currently serve in a voluntary, unpaid capacity. Travel and subsistence expenses you incur in attending CCDG meetings or on visits on behalf of CCDG will be reimbursed by CCDG itself at the rate currently applying to members of Government Committees.  Claims for reimbursement should be made to the CCDG Secretariat. Childcare and other dependent expenses may be paid, on production of receipts, for additional costs incurred as a direct consequence of duties performed in the capacity of your work for CCDG. Chairs of the three committees also receive a daily payment.

8
year

Function of body

Background

Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa Ltd (CCDG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government which was formed on 1 April 2013. Trading as Gyrfa Cymru Careers Wales, they deliver a ‘blended’ service that integrates the use of digital technologies alongside more traditional, face-to-face channels of delivery. They provide an all age, impartial, bilingual, careers information, advice and guidance service for Wales.

Careers Wales support customers to become more effective at planning and managing their careers, recognising that career management no longer consists of a one-off occupational choice, but rather a series of lifelong career transitions. Through improving career management skills and competencies, customers are able to make these transitions more smoothly, enjoy a higher level of career satisfaction and play a more active part in the economy.

April 2021 Careers Wales launched their five-year vision, ‘Brighter Futures’. Brighter Futures, has the ambition of creating a brighter future for all young people and adults in Wales. To achieve this ambition Careers Wales has developed four strategic goals:

  • To provide a bilingual, inclusive, impartial career guidance and coaching service for the people of Wales.
  • To develop its work with employers, training providers and entrepreneurs to understand their skills requirements and opportunities for young people and adults.
  • To support the delivery of Curriculum for Wales and contribute to the achievement of its four purposes for learners.
  • To develop a skilled, engaged and agile Careers Wales workforce and enable the delivery of high-performing, customer-centred services.

Their work supporting children and young people in education is funded through their core Careers Wales grant.  Careers Wales currently receives a budget of £18.8m core grant funding from the Welsh Government. Their work supporting those no longer in education is delivered through their Working Wales Services, this work is funded separately.

Board’s 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.

To do this the board must ensure that effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management, governance and internal control. The board is expected to assure itself of the effectiveness of the internal control and risk management systems.

 In particular the board is responsible for:

  • establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of CCDG consistent with its overall purpose and within the CCDG Articles of Association and Framework document determined by the Minister for Economy and Transport;
  • ensuring that the Minister for Economy and Transport is kept informed fully of any changes that are likely to impact on the strategic direction of CCDG or on the attainability of its targets, and of steps needed to deal with such changes;
  • ensuring compliance with any statutory or administrative requirements in respect of the use of public funds;
  • ensuring that it receives and reviews regularly, financial information concerning the management of CCDG; and
  • demonstrating high standards of corporate governance at all times, including by using the audit committee to help the board to address key financial and other risks.

Role description

Role and responsibilities

A CCDG Board Member will:

  • Play an active role in delivering the CCDG’s remit and ensuring CCDG will achieve maximum impact. This will include sharing their expertise and lived experience 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 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 producing and implementing a new five year Strategic 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; (if formal interview or statement they would need to liaise with our marketing department first)
  • Promote the profile of CCDG; and
  • Facilitate contact with CCDG’s stakeholders and actively promote equality and diversity with communities and respective stakeholders
  • Understand and subscribe to the commitments of a public role, as defined in Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life

Welsh language skills

The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing bilingual capabilities in public appointments in Wales, and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.  The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the recruiting body of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.
Essential
Can read some routine work-related material with support e.g. dictionary
Can prepare routine work-related material with checking
Can understand routine work-related conversations
Can hold some work-related conversations

Person specification

CCDG is seeking one new board member (Welsh essential) with a range of expertise, across a broad range of economic sectors, professions and social groups. 

We would also welcome applications from individuals with skills in one the following areas;

  • Education (Secondary / FE)

 Essential Criteria


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:

  • An ability to constructively challenge
  • A proven track record in building relationships with a range of stakeholders
  • Knowledge and understanding of learning and work issues at community, local and regional or national levels
  • A commitment to promoting equality and diversity
  • 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

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be required to expand on how they meet the criteria above using examples and evidence.

 Welsh Language


The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing bilingual capabilities in public appointments in Wales, and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh. The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the recruiting body of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

 

The ability to speak Welsh is essential for this post, as follows:

 

Understanding – Can understand routine work-related conversations

Speaking – Can converse in some work-related conversations

Writing – Can prepare routine work-related material with checking

Reading - Can read some routine work-related material with support e.g. dictionary

 

In addition, 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.

Interview dates

7 December 2022
8 December 2022

Closing date

17/10/2022, 16:00

Additional information

How to apply

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button below. The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system.  You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form.  To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates.  This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  The second document is a full, up to date CV.  The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities.  We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years. 

It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence.  You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go.  You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

If you’d like to apply for this opportunity in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on  PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments

Commissioner for Public Appointments logo

This vacancy is closed to applications.