Employment & Skills Business Partner

The Employment and Skills Partner will support the Employment and Skills Manager in the successful delivery of the Thames Water Skills Framework.

The role holder will deliver activities aimed at widening participation by maintaining and growing a network of external stakeholders that support those with multiple barriers to access employment. They will design and deliver a range of employability and early careers pipelining programmes, incl. generic and bespoke pre-employment training, a range of internship programmes, T-levels and others. The role holder will work closely with internal business stakeholders, incl. the hiring manager community,
Resourcing team and Apprenticeship & Graduates team, to create a pipeline of quality candidates that act as a referral source for vacancies as well as our mid- to long-term talent pools.
 
What you’ll be doing as an Employment and Skills Partner

• Develop and implement pipeline programmes, including internships, pre-employment initiatives, T-levels, and other relevant interventions
• Collaborate with Resourcing to build a steady pipeline of skilled talent for the business and supply chain
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Resourcing team, driving the development of a robust skills pipeline that aligns with resourcing plans while proactively eliminating recruitment barriers
• Foster strong partnerships with the Apprenticeships and Graduates team to ensure skill development meets workforce demands and integrates seamlessly with education-linked programmes, including T-levels and internships
• Cultivate strong partnerships with external specialists and referral organisations to drive successful programme delivery, ensuring comprehensive support and guidance for underrepresented groups
• Play a key role in fulfilling external commitments tied to covenants, alliances, and charters, reinforcing organisational values and social impact
• Proactively identify and address barriers to inclusive hiring and business practices, collaborating across teams, functions, and the wider organisation to drive meaningful inclusion and social mobility
• Seek out opportunities to highlight successes, leveraging them to enhance support, engagement, and momentum for ongoing improvement

 
Base location: Reading - Hybrid

Working pattern: 36 Hours
 
What you should bring to the role

• Experience of working with community stakeholders
• Strong understanding of community engagement, employability and adult learning
• Experience of working in the employment and skills environment and delivery of social value projects in a corporate environment
• Training knowledge with the ability to design and deliver training at all levels
• Experience of the recruitment process
• Proven experience of training, education or employment support delivery for marginalised groups
• Significant and demonstrable experience of widening participation projects, including supporting people facing complex barriers to achieving their goals and/ or into employment
• An understanding of the needs & expectations of employers as well as the benefits to business of having a diverse workforce
• Support work or similar experience of being a positive role model, coaching life skills and helping encourage a positive outlook for candidates
• Experience in safeguarding
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience of working with external stakeholders and managing day-to-day relationships
• Ability to use own initiative and pay close attention to detail

 
What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £44,000 to £58,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.