Business Advice Direct Ltd is a forward thinking, professional digital age company, who employs enthusiastic, committed people, who treat their colleagues with dignity and respect and expect the same in return.

Our company employs around 50 people and we’ve been in business and growing for 11 years.

We continually strive to improve quality of training and give support to all who work within the company.

Our staff help candidates who attend their centres to achieve their own personal goals helping give them the confidence to apply for work.

The Company helps you to achieve your own goals and employees are made to feel part of good working organisation.

We also have an administration centre in Grimsby and we are just in the process of launching our new bespoke learner management system which has been built to help maintain the necessary quality.

Current Vacancies

  • Volunteer

    MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: To help support centres with general, basic tasks. To gain experience of working in an office ..

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  • Jobcentre Liaison Officer

    Hours of Work: Full Time: Monday – Friday; 37.5 hours per week Holidays: 25 days annual leave; Jan – Dec ..

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  • Learner Administrator

    Hours of Work: Full Time: Monday – Friday; 37.5 hours per week Holidays: 25 days annual leave; Jan – Dec ..

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  • Support Tutor

    Hours of Work: Full Time: Monday – Friday; 37.5 hours per week Holidays: 25 days annual leave; Jan – Dec ..

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Volunteer

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

To help support centres with general, basic tasks. To gain experience of working in an office environment and improve their prospects for employability.


ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Must be able to communicate with staff and learners
  • Good telephone manner
  • Clean, tidy and respectable whilst in centre
  • Must complete a Volunteer Agreement


AREAS THAT VOLUNTEERS CAN BE INVOLVED IN:

  • Ringing learners to collect certificates
  • Get attendance register signed
  • General telephone calls to learners (getting them back in, etc)
  • Updating GLIS with continuing, no shows
  • Helping learners (ie if particularly good with ECDL), can also help with logging on, etc
  • Posting out certificates
  • Admin for CSCS cards/tachos, etc
  • Complete programme(s) if JSA/ESA
  • Making up new files
  • Ringing previous employability learners to track work progression
  • Photocopying, especially employability workbooks and associated forms
  • Filing – move completed files into archiving
  • Sort out JCP referral letters and file
  • Where learners are seen in centre by sales people, help with greeting and signposting
  • Meeting and greeting customers
  • Help learners with getting them onto surveys
  • Monitor survey numbers (and scores)
  • Anything else that you deem helpful in centres, but does not mean that the person is responsible for any sole aspect.

All Volunteers in centres must complete a Volunteer Agreement (Wendy Endeacott-Key will email to you and hold on file).

Salary: volunteer Location: Centre based
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Jobcentre Liaison Officer

Hours of Work: Full Time: Monday – Friday; 37.5 hours per week

Holidays: 25 days annual leave; Jan – Dec

Responsible to: Head of Sales


MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

To generate suitable and appropriate learner enrolments from referrals made through existing relationships with nominated job centres and other organisations situated within the various regions within which Business Advice Direct Limited operates.

You will be required to travel on a regular basis to attend appointments at the job centres (or in our own learning centres) on agreed dates providing a quality service to referred individuals and job centre/non job centre staff ensuring you provide up to date information/feedback as required.


LOCATIONS:

The appropriate regions, within which Business Advice Direct Limited operates, at the time of the vacancy. You may be required to travel to meetings, training programmes and occasionally our Head Office in Grimsby. Your own transport and a full driving licence are essential, although some travel will be by rail.


CANDIDATE QUALITIES:

The ideal applicant must be IT literate and able to provide and gather information in a friendly, professional, correct and concise manner and be able to communicate with people at the appropriate level. This role can often be very fast paced with little time (if any) between appointments, so the ideal candidate must be self controlled, organised and confident and manage time effectively.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • To attend appointments at agreed times on agreed dates and interview referred individuals to provide and obtain the appropriate information relevant to each individual so they can make an informed decision about enrolling on to the programme
  • To provide appropriate booking details by phone to our Admin staff and to complete and forward appropriate documentation in a timely manner
  • To successfully deliver enrolments achieving appropriate levels of enrolments and to be actively involved in follow up contacts with those individuals who fail to attend and/or complete their learning.
  • To initiate, develop and maintain relationships with job centres and other referral partners
  • To be a proactive member of our advice and guidance/sales team with a creative approach to generating business and identifying new opportunities and products
  • To provide timely and accurate feedback from all job centre visits and/or any other activity leading to course enrolments
  • To develop knowledge of the product portfolio and maintain that knowledge through changes to products, systems and procedures
  • To develop and maintain a respectful working relationship with colleagues and to promote all Business Advice Direct policies
  • To represent Business Advice Direct in a professional manner at all times
  • To maintain excellent relationships with external organisations’ managers, advisors and other staff to facilitate and develop ongoing relationships, referrals and enrolments.
Salary: £16,000 - £18,000 pa Location: Home Based covering the East Midlands and Yorkshire
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Learner Administrator

Hours of Work: Full Time: Monday – Friday; 37.5 hours per week

Holidays: 25 days annual leave; Jan – Dec

Responsible to: Head of Funded Learning


MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

To ensure learners’ details are recorded accurately through all stages, from booking to completion, including:

  • Handling incoming calls coming
  • To enrol learners onto learndirect Individualised Learner Record (ILR) system
  • To maintain learner admin functions
  • To provide other administrative duties as required from time to time
  • To contribute to the continued success and growth of Business Advice Direct Ltd (BAD)


PROFILE:

You will have experience of inputting data onto systems, ensuring attention to detail and accuracy, ensuring the required standards are met inline with the audit framework. You will have excellent communication skills and the ability to deal with internal and external customers in a professional manner. You will be a team player with good organisational skills.

MAIN DUTIES:

  • Enter learner details and courses accurately onto the learndirect system in accordance with Ufi Quality and Audit requirements
  • Enter learner details onto own in-house bookings system (GLIS)
  • Create and maintain spreadsheets for various tasks and reports
  • Receive incoming telephone calls from internal and external sources
  • Monitor GLIS and ensure the system is kept up-to-date
  • Assist with completions, withdrawals and achievements
  • Action and complete weekly/monthly departmental reports
  • Record and send out Learner Certificates
  • Register learners onto external examinations through OCR/BCS/ECDL/CITB
  • Setup personal & course tutors in each learning centre
  • Ensure filing systems are maintained
  • Monitor Audit reports and carry out adjustments
  • Undergo appraisals with line manager and create a self-development plan
  • Participate in Departmental Team Meetings and ensure any action points are completed within timescales requested
  • Create and send out candidate booking confirmations
  • Any other duties as required by your Line Manager
  • Compliance with company policies and procedures
Salary: £11,500 - £13,000 pa Location: Head Office, Grimsby
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Support Tutor

Hours of Work: Full Time: Monday – Friday; 37.5 hours per week

Holidays: 25 days annual leave; Jan – Dec

Responsible to: Head of Funded Learning


MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

  • To provide a first class support service to learners within our learndirect centre
  • To support learners undertaking online learning
  • To motivate learners to progress through the programmes
  • To provide administrative support for the centre
  • To contribute to the continued success and growth of Business Advice Direct Ltd (BAD)


PROFILE:

You will have previous experience supporting customers with their learning experience, either through learndirect, e-learning courses or any other online delivery method. Any L3 or above teaching or adult learning support qualification would be beneficial. You must have a good personality and the ability to communicate well with learners of all levels. You will be an excellent team player, participating in local team meetings and regional training events.

MAIN DUTIES:

  • Supporting learners with online courses at all levels
  • Ensuring administration systems are maintained
  • Being responsible for keeping learner files up-to-date with all the relevant documentation, ensuring all agreements and paperwork are done in line with company and Ufi audit requirements
  • Complete precise and concise progress reviews for all learners on programmes
  • Invigilate exams and supervision of external tests
  • Advise and progress learners onto further learning upon completion of current courses
  • Update in-house software systems/spreadsheets
  • Ensure attendance at team meetings to keep up-to-date with current delivery methods, programmes and product knowledge
  • Enhancing own knowledge of courses by undertaking training and previewing courses
  • Understanding the roles of all individuals within the company and actively participating in the appraisal process, creating a self-development plan
  • Participating in internal and external meetings, as required
  • Covering tutor support at other centres within BAD network
  • Making every effort to assist in reducing overheads within each centre
  • Any other duties as required by your Line Manager
  • Compliance with company policies and procedures
Salary: £13,000 - £17,000 pa Location: Centre based
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Our Staff

Richard Hallam

 Richard started out in employment training in 1993, working for an Enterprise Agency in Hull and also training as a Business Advisor. Since then, he’s coached and supported entrepreneurs and small business leaders in Staffordshire and inner city Nottinghamshire. Richard won his first learndirect contract in 2002.

Energy, vision, and a keen sense of responsibility towards the communities he serves underpin everything Richard does. He finds the ‘grassroots’ approach to improving employment rates extremely rewarding, and feels that working with learndirect is in ideal way for him and his staff to achieve inspiring results. 

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John Cobbledick

 John previously worked in business development for a telecoms company, managing a sales team. He joined BAD in 2002, after answering an advert in the press, meeting Richard, and quickly building a strong working relationship.

John’s a skilled decision maker and a people person, good at resolving disputes. His job involves working closely with Job Centre Plus and other education and employment services to ensure that learners find out about BAD. He is full of ideas and committed to developing the business in new ways.

When he’s not overseeing the work of BAD, he enjoys reading, listening to music (particularly Queen and Meatloaf) and entertaining friends and family.
 

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Fiona Wright

 There are two things Fiona enjoys: computers, and working with people. She first started working with computers way back in 1986, as a training manager for Letraset Computer Graphics in London. Fiona showed everyone from the MOD to big business how to work these new fangled desktop machines.
She joined BAD in 2004, and has been Head of Funded Learning for six years. She ‘thoroughly loves’ this role, which involves looking after all the learning centres, staff, policies and procedures.

In her spare time Fiona enjoys nothing more than spending time with her nieces and supporting MK Dons Football Club.   She likes reading too; particularly crime fiction by authors such as Patricia Cornwall and Stephen Leather. 

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Helen Umpleby

 Deputy Sales Manager Helen works closely with Sally, Simon and Chris to ensure all work is carried out to a high standard. She responds to enquiries from the public, employers and organisations who work with the unemployed, providing information and ensuring there is a high level of customer service. Helen works on numerous other projects and mentors staff in Darlington, Doncaster, Lincoln and Bramley. 

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Julia Hewitt

 As Quality and Audit Manager, Julia checks samples of paperwork from all of the Business Advice Direct centres to ensure that everything is up to scratch. As a responsible education provider, Business Advice Direct strives to ensure that all its procedural obligations are fulfilled, that all necessary records are kept and that all regulations are adhered to. Julia also travels to each centre twice a year to observe lessons, ensuring that the learner experience is as it should be. 

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Wendy Endeacott-Key

 Wendy is our Financial Controller, so she is responsible for company accounts. Not only does she look after the day-to-day general bookkeeping of the business, she also produces management accounting reports to assess the profitability of the business. She works alongside other managers to produce forecasts, which are useful for planning and decision making. She runs the payroll every month so she’s generally everyone’s best friend come pay day! Outside of work, she likes to keep fit by jogging, and pursuing the unusual hobby of Geocaching, which involves finding hidden objects using GPS. 

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Angela Dennehy

 Angela’s role involves managing and mentoring the learner administration staff, making sure all the information is put on the system correctly, discussing funding with Fiona Wright and dealing with any issues that arise during the enrolment, registration and completion processes. Angela says the best thing about her job is the positive atmosphere at work. She says that Business Advice Direct it is a real ‘feel good’ company to work for. When she’s not at work she enjoys playing with grandchildren Grace, 4, and Evie, 2, reading everything from thrillers to romance novels, and travelling to air shows in her motor home with her husband.  

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