Trainee Careers Adviser

About the Team

We deliver Career Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) services across Argyll and Bute, supporting people of all ages to develop the skills, confidence and insight they need to make informed, ongoing career decisions. Working with schools, learning providers, employers and partner organisations, our teams play a key role in helping individuals progress into positive and sustainable learning, training or employment outcomes within their lifelong career journey.

Build your career, while helping others shape theirs!

Skills Development Scotland has an exciting opportunity for a customer-focused 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 through our bespoke TCA development programme, with a clear pathway to becoming a permanent Careers Adviser, as many of our current advisers have done before.

You will be supported through a comprehensive in‑house development plan alongside a fully funded Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance and Development, leading to the Qualification in Career Development (QCD). Hear more about the role of Careers Advisers and how they support our customers.

Ideally, you will be educated to degree level/SCQF Level 9, but we would also invite applications from candidates with an HND at SCQF Level 8 who have considerable work experience in an employability, education and/or public service role. To be successful in the role, you must be fully committed to undertaking postgraduate study while performing the duties of a Trainee Careers Adviser.

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

This role would suit someone who is passionate about supporting people through career decisions and transitions in their community. We would particularly welcome candidates who speak Gàidhlig and can support Gaelic‑speaking customers across the local authority area.

As part of a geographically dispersed team, the 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 a government‑regulated scheme which 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.

SDS has designed a comprehensive bespoke development plan for our TCAs that combines both academic and on‑the‑job learning. The postgraduate study will be provided by Edinburgh Napier University from September 2026 and will be undertaken part‑time via distance learning over two years. To enable you to undertake this study, you will receive one day of paid study leave per week, over and above the personal study expected of a course at this level.

Subject to satisfactory completion of the qualification, completion of your SDS training plan for PGDip QCD learners, and satisfactory performance, you will progress to the position of Careers Adviser.

You can check out the qualification to understand a bit more about what is involved.

As part of your training plan there is structured pay progression through your traineeship as you reach and achieve set milestones. These milestones are in line with how you progress through the PGDip QCD qualification.

As you work with us, you will also gain supported first‑hand experience of…